A Blessed Life
by SisyphusWorker
Summary: Just a normal story about a boy who grows up to be a fine man. Nothing weird, right? Nope. A single event in Lucas' childhood caused a chain of bizarre events to appear one by one. Does Lucas get to live normally like any other normal person, or will the bubbly Mesprit of Lake Verity change his life into something he'll never forget? Rated T for borderline and suggestive themes.
1. 1-1: A 'Genius' Plan Gone Wrong

**This story is inspired by kopakanuvafan20's "Beyond Eterna Forest" and further sequels.**

* * *

 **I've done _heavy_ edits to this chapter up to the latest one as of the stated date, especially since I've felt that my style of writing young Lucas' perspective wasn't fit for him. I'd also like to thank Team Ion, Talarc, St Elmo's Fire, and Suwako20 for pointing out my areas of improvement here. I can safely say that this chapter's current version is better than the previous version.**

 **Also, remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the mea** **ntime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 ** _Last edited on: 19th of April 2020_**

* * *

 **ARC I**

 ** _Serendipity_**

* * *

"It's been so long…"

She may have lived for over a century, but her life has been so meaningless. It's like something's missing when she came into existence. The fact that she couldn't live normally unlike her 'sisters' felt so… empty. So empty, so painful!

Despite those nasty human legends surrounding her, she lacked genuine empathy. Most of her emotions weren't truly heartfelt. Ever since _that_ incident, she thought of herself as an empty soulless husk, like those unfortunate mind-controlled parasect. She thought she was the odd one out of her lineage, but she never really cared about it. She just wanted to know so badly why she couldn't live with a calm mind.

Then, he came.

He saved her from her suffering.

He's the missing piece in her life.

That's when she decided.

 **She must make him hers, and hers alone**.

Once he was hers, she'll finally understand the true purpose of living, and she knew that he could show her that. She'll be sure to make him _the happiest being_ in this wretched universe for completing her life.

He may be a human, but he's the _only_ sentient living being to have _fully_ filled that emptiness.

There's just a small problem; he was very young when he saved her. In fact, six years have passed since that fateful day. Six _painful_ years.

Hell, she couldn't even remember the last time she smiled wholeheartedly since six years ago.

For everything to flow naturally, she had to hear his side if he was willing to accept her. She's been trying that, but all of them ended in failure. Oh, how she wished he wasn't like those inferior humans.

She was getting impatient, and she didn't like how much time had passed already. She wanted him, and she wanted him now!

No, calm down. Time should be irrelevant to her. She needed to remain focused.

Right now, she's just keenly observing him being dragged by his human friend to her domain.

If only he didn't bring along that disgusting human friend of his, he'd be spared from her plan to separate the both of them. How much she wished for everything to go smoothly, but luck wasn't with her today.

No matter.

She didn't care if it'd take another century. She didn't care if it was his future reincarnation. She didn't care if she was ostracised by her 'sisters' or her 'friends' in the long run.

Her gems were glowing, and her pupils dilated, nearly covering her golden irises. When she held both of her cheeks, she smiled and giggled.

There was only one goal for her: a lone objective that her life depended on.

 **"I will make you mine~"**

* * *

He wanted it to end so badly.

Oh boy, this summer break was too boring! He wanted to go back to school and win that sweet, sweet 'Top 1' title. After all, he'll be in his last elementary year. Then, that airhead friend just had to make things worse.

Alright, Lucas needed to think it over again.

Just why the heck did he even say 'yes' to his best friend? Heck, Barry didn't tell Lucas what the heck they're gonna do, and here Lucas thought Barry was smart and kind enough to _at least_ tell him what's going on. Oh boy, this really wasn't gonna end well for Lucas and Barry.

Well, at least his last summer days didn't look like they're gonna be boring.

This blond-haired boy's dragging him to Lake Verity. When Lucas found out that they're going there, he quickly knew that Barry wanted to make him a lab rat to his 'genius plans', and he's kinda scared at what's on the menu for today.

"C'mon, Lucas! Too slow!" Barry said. He's pulling Lucas' arm like there's no tomorrow.

"Alright, alright, Barry! Maybe pull a little harder so you could rip my arm out?" Lucas said.

Barry started laughing. "Very funny, Lucas!"

Lucas wanted to kick his butt real hard, but nah. Keep it in, he'd tell himself. He's your best friend, sadly.

When they finally got in the lake's forest, they walked to the bushes near them.

"Nice. We're here," Barry said.

"What the heck's your problem, Barry?" Lucas asked.

Barry put a finger on Lucas' lips. "Shh! Just shut up and take a good look at this."

Barry pointed Lucas to a bush. While rubbing his painful shoulder, Lucas saw that the bush Barry's pointing at's very thick and messy. It's like someone or something dumped a lot of leaves there. One thing's for sure, Lucas wasn't gonna touch that!

And just like that, Barry started going through that bush.

Lucas suddenly got worried. "H-hey, Barry don't just—"

"Voila!" Barry opened up the bush like a magician with his magic tricks. Lucas wasn't gonna lie. He's kinda scared at what's inside, so he just looked away. Yeah, it's probably time to go home and — "Hey, Lucas! Don't wuss out on me!" Barry said awfully quietly. "Just look at what's in here. It's worth it, promise!"

Just when Lucas was thinking about it, he quickly felt like he should just look inside. He had a hunch: maybe he's gonna show him something pretty neat. Barry'd never lie if it's something really awesome.

Lucas sighed. He's really gonna do it. "Fine, Barry. You win, again."

Barry put a big smile. Heh, what a dolt. "Aw, thanks, Lucas! C'mere, here's this little cutie I wanna show you."

Lucas followed Barry, and what's inside was a baby starly sleeping in its nest. Woah, it looked like it's newly hatched from its egg!

"Aw~! So cute!" Lucas said quietly.

"Heh heh, of course! Only the great and powerful Barry can show you amazing stuff like this, my Lucas!" Barry said. Jeez, Lucas hated his arrogance. "Actually, I'm kinda curious why this little guy's here on the ground."

Huh, Barry's right. Weren't they usually on a tree or something? Even though Lucas wanted to try and find out where the starly really came from, he knew that he shouldn't try it. It just didn't feel right.

"Poor guy's cute and all, but I think we should just leave it, Barry," Lucas said.

"What're you talking about, Lucas?" Barry replied. "We didn't just come here for nothing." Uh oh, Lucas didn't like where this was going. Barry put his pointer finger up. "I have a plan!"

Oh shoot, he said that one word that Lucas didn't wanna hear. Ever.

Lucas gulped. "What's your genius plan now, Barry?"

"C'mon, Lucas. Why don't you sound excited?"

"I'm not, Barry. I'm actually kinda scared to know."

"Don't be, Lucas! It's gonna be a blast! Look, here's our goal," Barry got closer to Lucas, "we'll be getting our first pokémon ever!"

Lucas got interested. "P-pokémon? Like, our own?"

Their own pokémon? Dang, that's what Lucas wanted right now. It's like almost everyone in class got their own pokémon last school year, kinda making Lucas jealous. His mom didn't wanna get him one since she always 'had her reasons', so he's bummed out for not having a pokémon of his own.

 _It's just not fair that we don't get one. This sucked, but…_

Oh boy, it looked like Barry's planning something bad.

"You heard me right! First, we nick this starly while it's asleep. Then, we'll hightail the heck outta here with our new pokémon and hide it while we tame it," Barry explained. "I'm betting 100 000 dollars and my new shoes for it!"

"H-hang on, Barry." Lucas quickly shook his head. "Did you just say that we should just go and get this starly?"

Barry nodded and smiled. "Heck yeah!"

"Are you nuts?! This is wrong!" Lucas said, but he's careful not to shout.

"Psh! No, it's not. We'll nick this starly while it's asleep, and who's here to see us, hm?"

"B-but… this is stealing! Our parents and its parents are gonna go bonkers when they find out!"

"We'll hide it, duh."

"A-and this is a wild pokémon! It's gonna shred us to bits—"

"So we tame it. Weren't you listening, Mister Best in English?" Dang, Lucas hated it when he got called names like that in home or in school.

"Oh boy… b-but I — umph!" Lucas got cut short when Barry's hand covered his lips.

"C'mon, don't be such a worrywart, Lucas! But what if this and what if that…" Barry repeated Lucas' words like he's mocking him. Fricking Barry! "You're becoming, er, paranoid! Yeah! Don't be a killjoy with that now. Didn't you say that we wanted pokémon of our own?" Barry sounded more serious.

Lucas looked over to the sleeping starly. It looked so cute sleeping and tweeting like that. How could anyone not want that? Besides, he's been wanting a poké-partner for a while now.

"That's more like it. Now, I'm gonna remove my hand and hear what's on your head, okay?" Barry said when he slowly removed his hand on Lucas' mouth. " Of course, you're gonna say 'yes' to this and say that I'm the coolest in master plans!"

Well yeah, Lucas and Barry wanted their own pokémon, and Barry got his own reasons, too. Heck, they didn't wanna keep on being teased at for not having any pokémon. Well, Barry's more of a fight-back guy, but Lucas wasn't. It felt good to have a pokémon, too. Just imagine those times they're gonna have those pokémon battles with their classmates and stand up to bullies. It'd be so cool and awesome!

But then, they're just gonna get a pokémon like picking a flower in a no-trespassing garden. It's still a baby pokémon, too. Wasn't that bad? Just what'd its parents do? His mom was gonna ground him, and Lucas also knew that there's this 'Lake Guardian' in Lake Verity. He'd get cursed or something 'cause he remembered that legend from back home. Oh boy, he didn't wanna get grounded or cursed!

"I'm very sorry, Barry, but sign me outta this." Lucas put his arms up, meaning that he quit joining Barry's plan. "I can't do it. Our parents are gonna get mad at us, and the Lake Guardian's gonna get mad at us, too!"

When Barry heard that, he got mad. Lucas could even hear him grumbling. Uh oh, he's got a bad feeling about this!

Barry slammed his fists on the grass. "I thought we're in this together, Lucas, but if that's how you're gonna play it, then fine! Even though you're not in the game, we'll still share it 'cause I know what you want."

"Barry, just leave it alone, please?"

"No," Barry said and gave Lucas a mean look. "Y'know what? I'll do this myself, and you can't stop me!"

Barry quickly ran to the nest and tried to grab the newborn baby when he got near. Crud, Lucas's gotta do something!

Both of them were literally stopping each other like a glameow chasing a rattata, but dang, Barry's got the upper hand! Heck, he even put his tongue out to Lucas when he won. That boastful Barry!

"Finally, we got a pokémon, Lucas! I told you: you can't stop me!"

"No way. I'm too late," Lucas said quietly and looked down, shutting his eyes. He just lost to him, as usual, and he's heck-a bummed out.

Dang, he's just better than him in these kinds of things! Lucas really didn't like how he's too good at almost everything.

Is it really the winner who takes it all or something? 'Cause if that's the case, then Lucas wanted to best his airhead best friend one day.

Like what Barry always says, "I'm always a step ahead of you, Lucas!"

 _Just you wait, Barry…_

After sighing, he just frowned and walked to Barry. On the bright side, at least they got a pokémon, somehow.

While walking, Lucas felt something wrong. He didn't know what the heck's gotten into him, but heard something from above. When Lucas looked up for a sec, he turned white.

 **The starly's parents!**

Oh no, it's way scarier 'cause they literally landed _behind_ Barry, but that airhead still didn't notice them!

"B-Barry! Let the starly go! Hurry!"

"Not this again, Lucas. Look, don't worry. I'll still share this critter with you, for double the 100 000 dollars!"

"I'm not fricking joking, Barry! Behind you!"

"Oh, I get it. You're trying to troll me, really?" Barry turned to his back. "It's not gonna… work…"

The flaps of the two strong-looking staraptors made the wind blow strongly to Lucas and Barry. Oh God, it's like a huge hairdryer that's blowing cold air!

Barry slowly went beside Lucas. No one could literally man up to those two staraptors. Heck, they're huge and strong!

If there's one or two things Lucas could've been doing, he could've stayed at home and ate some food while chilling for the last week of their summer vacation. But no! Barry just had to mess it all up! Dangit, and he's supposed to be the brainy genius here! Fricking airhead!

The eyes of the parent staraptors looked like they wanted their baby back, and they were slowly coming up to them!

Lucas weakly hit Barry's side with his elbow, and it looked like Barry got his message. He didn't even shout back. He quickly let the baby starly go.

Lucas gulped. The mean look of the big bird pokémon were still at them. Lucas shut his eyes, and he's sweating buckets!

C'mon, Barry. He's got an escape plan somewhere in his head!

Suddenly, Barry shouted, "Up there!"

He pointed to the sky, and everyone looked up. Weirdly, the staraptors also looked up. Dang, was this the plan? When the staraptors looked back at them, Barry threw two handfuls of dirt at their eyes.

"Lucas! Run, run, run, RUN!" Barry shouted. All two're hightailing it to the exit.

Oh crud! Barry's too fast, and Lucas couldn't keep up to him!

Suddenly, the staraptors landed in front of Lucas. Just when he got near to the exit, too!

 _Oh-no-no-no-no… I don't wanna die!_

One staraptor flew sky-high. Crud, the other one's blocking the way out!

Lucas got no choice: he's gotta hide in the lake's forest till something good happens!

Right before he got in the forest, he heard something coming to him. He quickly jumped into the bushes, but it wasn't good enough. He felt wind pushing him and something ripping, his t-shirt!

That's when he knew: he's gonna be fricking bird food for the wild staraptors!

 _No-no-no-NO! I don't wanna die! I don't wanna die!_

He kept on running, running, and running in the forest just to get away from that flying staraptor!

Crud, he reached a cliff — a dead-end! Was he gonna… jump?

 _No, I can't… I'll get hurt real bad! But I don't wanna die!_

Oh no, he felt wind blowing his back. Crud, there's something cawing behind him, too! He gulped as he slowly turned around. The two staraptors were in front of him, and they didn't look happy!

"Krr…" the staraptors cawed. Crud-crud-crud, they're coming closer!

"P-please! Don't hurt me! I wasn't trying to — ah…!"

It happened all too fast. He fell.

Everything's swirling around. He felt stuff scratching him everywhere.

Then, he felt like landing on something soft behind him.

 _What the heck?_

 _Why're there flowers flying around?_

 _Why's the sky moving around?_

 _Why's the sky becoming… blacker?_

 _It's still 13… o'…_ _clock._

 _And_ _…_ _why's everything… so painful_ _…_

 _Argh… can't_ _…_ _move_ _…_

 _Dangit… fricking Barry…_

The staraptors looked like they're fading, but they it's like they weren't gonna stop.

"Mom… Dad… I don't feel… too good… I don't wanna… go…" Lucas said, weakly. "Help me… Barry… Dawn… Tyson… anyone…"

 _So this… is what happens… when you lose… the chase…_

 **"Kyaun!"**

That's the last thing he heard, but the last thing he saw before he blacked out?

 _Pink_ _…_ _pigtails? A_ _…_ _girl?_

* * *

"WAH!" he yelled when he got up.

Lucas felt like he just woke from a nightmare, but it's fricking real! Dang, Lucas was never gonna do that again!

Wait a minute, where the heck was he first? This flowerbed didn't look like their usual play spot.

That's when it hit him.

"Argh, ouch!" His arms and legs felt like they're being clawed to bits. Heck, his back only felt painful now! "N-never again, Barry! That's the last time!"

Oh boy, just how long was he out?

Weirdly, he now felt his whole body's covered with something gooey. It's still painful, but then, something's cooling his body. It's like he's been given some ointment. Dang, he even forgot to bring his own ointment right now. Just great…

"W-what the heck's this?"

Lucas saw that his hands and arms were wrapped in leaves and bandages wrapped around him. When he slowly twisted around, he felt his back's also covered in the same thing. It smelled minty, too.

Lucas was dying to know who could've done this.

"H-hey, uh, whoever you are, can you show yourself, please?"

"Kyuki?"

Huh, that was quick.

Lucas quickly froze. That didn't sound like a person at all. It's like a pokémon's cry.

Wait.

The voice sounded like the pokémon's cry before he blacked out!

He slowly tried getting up. It's painful, but at least the gooey cream didn't make it too bad.

"Um, h-hello?"

"Kyaun?"

There's something that appeared in front of him with a pink light. He quickly thought it was a psychic-type pokémon teleporting in front of him.

It looks like he's right. So, this was his 'nurse': the floating sprite pokémon in front of him. Woah, are those rubies on its forehead and tails?

There's something weird about this pink pokémon. Lucas couldn't put his finger in it, but it's got this mysterious air around it. Yeah, it's like something he'd never seen before, but also saw before.

 _Dey-ja-something, was it?_

It's also carrying something with it, some long leaves, bandages, and a container with green paste.

"W-were you my, y'know, nurse? The one that gave me all this stuff?" Lucas asked with the politest voice he could use.

The pokémon — his nurse — nodded.

"O-oh. T-thank you very much."

"Kyuki…" it whispered before slowly hovering to Lucas. His nurse stopped and looked at his arms.

"O-oh, right."

He put one arm out. Even though it's kinda painful, he shouldn't be disrespectful to his nurse. Deal with it; you're a man now, he'd tell himself everyday.

Woah, there's this pink light covering his arm. Just like that, the bandages removed themselves, and he saw _a lot_ of scratches there. They weren't bleeding, at least. His nurse used its soft hands to apply the green goo on Lucas' arm, and it felt painful… painfully good.

"A-ah~" His nurse quickly stopped and looked up to Lucas with its wide-open golden eyes. Uh oh, it's tearing up. "No, no! It's alright, I swear! Just don't mind me. I'm a man now!" Okay, that sounded pretty pathetic.

His nurse started laughing. Did he make a funny face or something?

 _"You're quite funny, aren't you?"_ a voice spoke in his head. Okay, now that's fricking weird. Lucas quickly looked at his nurse 'cause he knew what that was.

"D-did you just speak with your mouth closed? W-was that just t-telepathy?"

 _"Yes, and yes. I-is something the matter?"_ his nurse asked.

Lucas couldn't believe it: a psychic-type pokémon really did that wacky telepathy thing right before his eyes!

"OH MY GOD! WOW!" Lucas yelled.

"K-kyau!" Uh oh, his nurse disappeared.

"Hey, w-wait! I'm sorry if I yelled. Please come back!"

His nurse did with a pouting face, like how he'd look like when his mom wouldn't give him what he wanted.

"Argh!" Crud, the pain!

 _"Tsk, see what you did? You'll get hurt if you move too much, hmph!"_ Dang, it's like talking to his girl classmates back at school.

"S-sorry. I won't do it again."

His nurse sighed and smiled. _"It's alright. Now, your arm, please?"_

The rubbing resumed, and Lucas felt like he's being uncourteous and ungrateful. Oh boy, if his mom found out, she's gonna kill him for that.

His nurse's making her way up to his shoulders. Huh, her rubbing feels pretty good, and the pain's slowly going away.

"Hey, uh, can I say something?"

It looked pretty annoyed. _"If you're gonna yell at me again, please don't."_

"N-no. I, uh, wanna compliment you."

He saw it blushing even with her pink face. _"C-compliment me? What for?"_

"What you're doing, basically. It feels fantastic, and it's a nice and soothing massage!"

 _"A-ah~ T-thank you~"_

"You seem pretty good at this. I wonder, who taught you how to do it?"

His nurse was just staring at him the whole time with its cute golden eyes.

"Oh, is there something on my face?" Lucas started touching his face, but it stung him.

 _"It's nothing, and please don't touch your face yet!"_

"A-alright."

His nurse finished one arm and wrapped new leaves and bandages around it.

 _"The other one now, please?"_

Lucas showed his other arm, and she did the same thing to it. Like the other one, it stung at first.

"Miss, uh, while you're at it, can I continue asking questions and talking to you if you don't mind?"

 _"Sure thing, and I don't mind. Ask away!"_

Huh, it's good his nurse's warming up to him quickly 'cause he's probably gonna die of awkwardness if not!

"Oh, but before that," Lucas cleared his throat like a gentleman, "my name's Lucas."

 _"'Lucas'?"_

"Yeah, it's 'Luke' but you put an '-as' after saying it."

 _"Oh, that's a nice name. I like it!"_

"Well, I'm not really sure what's likeable about my name."

 _"Oh, a lot~ It makes me think you're a likeable person too, Lucas."_

"R-really? You could tell just by my name?"

 _"I'm a psychic-type, remember~? So_ _, I think you know about how we can sneak a peek into your heads. Oh, but I know my limits, Lucas."_

Lucas was really digging this info. It'd be too cool to have a psychic-type pokémon. Heck, he's even wondering if his nurse was his first pokémon. That'd be awesome!

"Anyways, it's nice to meet you, uh…"

 _"You can call me 'Miss Nurse', Lu~cas,"_ his nurse said.

"Oh, 'Miss Nurse', huh? So, you're a girl?" he asked.

Miss Nurse stopped rubbing the cream looked at him with a weird face. They stared at each other for a moment. Uh oh, maybe Lucas question's kinda stupid.

Later, she was smiling widely, and it's kinda creeping Lucas out. _"Do you really want me to prove it, Lucas?"_

"H-how, Miss Nurse?"

 _"Oh, I dunno… Maybe I can show you~?"_ she said, and then winked after.

Huh? What did she mean by show… oh shoot! He just got it, and he's turning red like a beetroot! Yeah, stupid question, Lucas, and in front of a girl, too!

 _"I'm kidding, Lucas! No way am I showing. It. To. You~"_ She laughed pretty loudly. _"I really like those cute faces you're making, Lu~cas. You really look cute!"_

Oh boy, this was way too embarrassing. Urgh, he wanted to jump off that mini-cliff so bad again just to feel better.

"C-cute?" Was he really?

 _"Yup! Don't your friends, like that… yellow-haired human, think so, too?"_

"You mean Barry and some of my school mates?" She nodded. "I think I look okay for him, but some of my school mates say I look like a stupid clown sometimes." He really didn't like those teases, though.

Suddenly, his nurse stopped rubbing his arm. She's just looking at it, and she's… shaking? Somehow, he felt something went wrong.

"Um, you okay there?"

His nurse looked up to him. _"Why… why would they call you that?"_

"I'm sure they're joking."

 _"How could you tell, Lucas? It's still quite mean_ _…_ _"_

"I mean, that's what we normally do: joke around, mess around, and tease each other. In the end, we don't usually mean it."

She puffed out air before wrapping the leaves and bandages on his other arm. _"If you ask me, I don't think you're stupid at all. Just by looking at the way you speak, you seem like the kindest and the smartest person in the universe."_

Woah, did he just get complimented by someone he just met? He's gotta have that first-impression charm, cool!

"Aw, thanks for those kind words, Miss. It really makes my day, and I feel much happier!"

 _"M-make your day? F-feel happier? D-did I hear you right?"_

"Well, you're even helping my cuts and pain, so yeah! Well, a lot are still painful, but that's okay! I really can't say how much I wanna thank you, Miss Nurse!"

 _"Y-yes~ Y-you're welcome~"_

She smiled. Maybe it's just him, but there's something weird about that smile.

 _"C-can I a-ask you s-something, L-L-Luc-cas?"_

Huh, her telepathy voice thingamajig's sounding pretty weirder. W-wait a minute, why's she shaking again?

"S-sure. Go ahead, Miss Nurse."

 _"A-am I d-doing a g-good job in n-nursing you?"_

"W-well, yeah. I said that I'm feeling better with you, right?"

 _"O-oh~ I did it~!"_

"Uh-huh, y-you did it!"

 _Did what, though?_

Then, her shaking stopped, and she quickly looked down.

 _"Lucas,"_ he jumped from surprise, _"thank you for your wonderful words."_

"W-woah! How're you doing that? Your voice sounds different, Miss Nurse! Y-you can look back at me now."

She's still looking down. It's kinda rude, but something's telling Lucas that he shouldn't be saying that.

 _"Before I do, can I say one more thing about those human friends who called you names, Lucas?"_ she asked one more time. _"I feel as if you need to know this."_

It's like the air's changed. Uh oh, something's definitely going on here.

Lucas gulped. "S-sure thing, M-Miss Nurse."

 ** _"Those humans are better off lying dead on the ground."_**

"Woah-woah-woah-woah! O-okay, that's a really m-mean joke, Miss." Lucas started laughing nervously. "T-that's gotta be a joke, right?"

She's still looking down, and she's starting to shake more, more, and more!

 _"A joke?"_

"Y-yeah. T-that's gotta be—"

 _"Do you really think,"_ She quickly looked back at him, _"I'm joking?"_

Uh oh, she had a really creepy smile, and her eyes weren't golden anymore — they're literally night-black! Heck, her gems were even glowing!

"U-um, M-Miss Nurse?"

 _"Ye—s? Do you want anything? C'mon, don't be shy! Miss Nurse is here~ Ask away~!"_ S-shoot, she's freaking him out!

"A-ah! M-Miss Nurse, p-please stop it!"

She started hovering nearer to him, and he started moving back _really slowly_.

T-there's something going on with his nurse. It's like… it's like she's a completely different per — er, _pokémon_! She was sweet and all, so how could she become like this in just a blink of an eye?!

"AH!" he yelled.

He slipped, and his back's literally on fire! Dang, at least the ointment made the pain go away pretty quickly!

Miss Nurse _finally_ stopped getting close to him. "K-kyaun?"

She blinked a few times, and her eyes suddenly became golden again. C-creepy!

 _"A-ah, L-Lucas!_ _I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to say any of those mean words! Please forgive me! H-here, I'll help you—"_

Lucas quickly slapped her hand away. No way was he getting her help!

 **"S-stay away! Don't come near me!"**

She yelped and quickly floated back.

T-this nurse. Now that he got a better look at his nurse, she looked pretty familiar. Her shape and all… he read about her in a book in the school library! Heck, this pokémon's name's just at the tip of his tongue!

 _Just… who the heck are you?!_

The two were staring at each other for a moment, and Lucas slowly got up.

"K-kyuki?" she said out loud, breaking the silence.

She looked broken. Uh oh, she's tearing up again.

"I-I meant to say was, uh, p-please give me some space for a sec, M-Miss Nurse."

She continued making her crying sound, and he could see her wiping her eyes. Crud, from jolly to scary to this.

"Um, M-miss? I-I'm sorry for saying that. T-that was mean and d-disrespectful of me."

No use. She's starting to cry. Crud, what to do…

"U-uh. H-hey! I know a joke! W-what do you call a pepper that won't leave you alone? A _pepperazzi_!"

S-shoot! She's crying even more!

 _B-but that's a good one!_

"Kyua—!" she cried.

Just like that, she disappeared in a flash of pink light, leaving what she brought along lying on the flowerbed and a sorry Lucas.

Oh shoot, this was great. Just great! Maybe it's 'cause that stupid joke that Barry and Ruby told him's too corny!

B-but then again, was that even a good thing to say? To just stay away like that? Lucas wasn't hurt or anything but only freaked out!

Those were mean words she said, too. M-maybe there's really something in her that Lucas didn't know.

One thing still happened: Lucas _overacted_ again, and look at what he just did: his nurse just poofed outta his face! Oh boy, even though she said those bad things about his friends like that, what he said to her's also a mean thing, kinda like they balanced out. D-did she really deserve mean words just for that?

He didn't wanna think about it. He should really explain to her that it's not really anyone's fault, kinda.

It took a few moments for Lucas to relax, but she still didn't come back. Oh boy, guess he should do the rubbing himself till she comes back, that's if she did. Urgh… Good thing his school taught him how to do some personal first-aid just last year.

He then applied the gooey cream on his face. After that, he did his legs and thighs. It really helped make the pain go away even more, kinda.

Oh boy, just what else was he gonna mess up today?

Just when he's gonna put the leaves and bandages back, he heard something in front of him, and there was even a flash of pink light. O-oh, it's Miss Nurse, and she looked like she's finished crying. Oh boy, looking at her teary face made him feel really… bad.

 _"L-Lucas?"_

"Y-yeah, Miss Nurse?"

She sniffled a bit. _"I-I'm really, really sorry for doing that a moment ago. I really got overboard there, Lucas. P-please accept my sincerest apologies."_

She bowed, and he could hear her sniffling a bit. It's his turn now.

"Y-yes. I do, and I understand. I also wanna say sorry, too."

 _"H-huh? What for?"_

"For saying 'stay away' in a kinda mean voice. I-it's very disrespectful of me, too. I guess we're even."

And then, silence. She stared at him for a moment, but he kept quiet. It's like she's trying to see something in him.

 _"I-I see. I accept your apology, but what you did was justified. Mine wasn't. I guess I'm more in the wrong…"_

Miss Nurse slowly hovered to Lucas, but that's also when he felt something wrong. Heck, he got ready to run away when she got near.

She looked away looking sad, but then faced him right after.

 _"L-Lucas?"_

"Y-yes, Miss?"

She looked down. _"Before I do anything else, can I wanna break the ice with you a bit? It's too serious now, and I can sense discomfort between us, too."_

Lucas wasn't gonna lie. He felt really uncomfortable, and it's not just from his cuts or the pain at all.

He should really follow what she said, but he's being extra careful.

"O-okay. W-what're you gonna say?"

She sighed. _"Remember that 'pepperazzi' joke you made?"_ Lucas got quickly embarrassed and blushed. _"Well, I kinda found it funny."_ She giggled after saying it.

H-hey, it looked like Lucas wasn't alone when he found it funny.

"R-right?" Lucas said, smiling.

Both of them laughed weakly. After that, Miss Nurse finished up the last of Lucas' treatment with his help. She told him that the leaves wouldn't fall off that easily with her psychic powers. Lucas quickly got an idea when she did that.

"U-uh, Miss?"

"Kyaun?"

"D-don't you think you could've just used your psychic powers to heal me or something?" Dang, that's really thick-faced of him, but it's worth the shot.

"Kyau—n…"

Lucas saw her hold out both her hands to Lucas. It looked she's asking him to hold her little two-pointed hands.

He shied out a bit, but he felt that he could trust her, and so held them.

 _"I'm sorry, Lucas, but I can't do that even if I wanted to."_

"B-but—"

She shushed him with one hand. _"I'll explain later, Lucas. I_ _t's about time already."_

"T-time? F-for what, Miss Nurse?"

 _"You may drop the 'nurse', Lucas, since I'll be telling you who I really am."_

Lucas looked at her deeply. He just realised: he's been dying to know since he woke up and knew she's the one nursing his cuts and pain.

It's like his head's mixed up with thanks and being scared, and both feelings made him want to know more about who his nurse really is.

 _"Alright, I think I should introduce myself."_ The sprite-pokémon closed her eyes.

Lucas slowly nodded, and his hands were getting shaky. Something warm and invisible passed through his hands, though, and it kinda made him feel more relaxed.

Just right there, everything slowed down for Lucas.

Lucas' memory came barging in randomly.

He now remembered.

That library book he read, his nurse in front of him, what those oldies and his mom's been saying, and what Barry's been yapping a lot about the lake, too.

No…

No way.

It can't be.

This pokémon, _his nurse_. There's no way!

She's… she's not—!

 ** _"Mesprit…"_**

 _"My name is Mesprit, the Being of Emotion. I am the Guardian of Lake Verity. You can call me 'Miss Mesprit', or simply 'Mesprit', if you want."_

The pink-faced sprite-pokémon opened her golden eyes.

 _"Nice to meet 'cha, Lucas,"_ she added with the sweetest and cutest smile he never, ever saw before in his life.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed this renewed chapter. Also, this won't merely be a novelisation of Pokémon D/P/Pt. Additionally, I'll be focusing on the growth of Lucas from him meeting Mesprit, and then his relationship with her and other people and 'mon.**

 **I hope you'll stick around for more!**


	2. 1-2: A Flair for Emotions, Mesprit

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 _ **Last edited on: 25th of April 2020**_

* * *

"M-'Mesprit'? T-the Lake Guardian of this place?" Lucas asked without looking away at the Lake Guardian.

 _"Yes, that's me."_

I-is it really the Lake Guardian, in the flesh? A-and, why's she the one who's treating him?!

M-maybe he's gonna get cursed for joining all his fricking 'genius plans', and she's just preparing him for it! And that legend…

Oh no.

Oh no-oh no-oh no!

W-was he gonna get…

 **Cursed? Punished? Taken away?**

No…

No-no-no…

She felt too powerful, like really-above-him kinda powerful! It's like being scolded by every big person he knew to the max. He knew that all those naughty stuff he did with Barry had to be paid, and… this was it.

He can't do anything. Heck, he's _nothing_ in front of the Lake Guardian, and his punishment's too close!

His legs felt like jelly, and his hands were getting wet.

He's not a man. He's just a kid off the street who gets bullied.

He can't help it. He wasn't strong enough to not cry in front of a powerful legend.

He's weak.

He should've known better when to quit joining Barry's stupid ideas.

 _"Lucas!"_

Lucas could only cry, cry, and cry. W-wasn't there a way outta this?

 _"No, no, no, Lucas. Shh-shh-shh. It's okay. It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you,"_ Miss Mesprit hugged Lucas and patted his back with her hands and tails. _"Let it out. Just let it all out."_

"It's not… my fault… Please… don't punish me…" Lucas said while bawling his heart out.

While Miss Mesprit's comforting him, all he could do was tell her all of his wacky adventures with Barry in the lake, and he said almost all of them were really disrespectful to her, the legit Lake Guardian. She just listened and continued comforting him.

Right there, he felt a weird feeling coming from her comforting. It's like he's being hugged by people he thought as family, and it's relaxing him. It took a few moments before he got the energy to talk again.

 _"There, there, Lucas… I'm a nice pokémon… I won't punish you… I've known you're a good boy deep inside."_

"M-Miss… Mesprit? I-I wanna know… A-are you really… really the Lake Guardian?"

Miss Mesprit looked at his face and wiped the tears with her little hands. _"Yes, Lucas. It's me, and I_ _really_ _mean that it's me."_

"B-but, Mom and the oldies said t-that bad kids get punished or cursed… Am I a… _bad kid_? Am I gonna really be… taken away from my home?"

Lucas was about to cry at the last word he said, but her soft hugging made him comfortable.

 _"No, Lucas. I only do that to the bad guys,"_ she said with a smile and wiped more of his tears and snot away. _"I like you, and I can never bring myself to hurt you. You're a special boy, and I will never let anything bad happen to you."_

The look on her cute golden eyes really made him feel at home. He could really trust her, and it's like… she could be his friend. He smiled back at her, and she looked pretty happy. He's getting better every moment with her.

Maybe it's fate that he got to see the legit Lake Guardian… or some random story crud.

 _"And also, you can also call me 'Mesprit'. Drop the 'Miss' part. We're not really formal and all,"_ she said and played with one of her pigtails. _"And if you want, you can see me as your friend, or maybe your big sister! I'm a kind and nice pokémon, so you can be yourself around me,"_ she added with a smile.

"A-alright", Miss — I-I mean, _Mesprit_."

 _Friend, huh… Oh!_

She nuzzled him affectionately, like how his mom would do. When she floated back, he got another good look at her then realised: that's why she's so familiar. She's from that encyclopaedia 'Rare Pokémon From Around The World'. All he could remember's that mesprits were fricking good with emotions and psychic thingamajigs. It felt _very_ different seeing her in the books and in real life, too.

 _"Remember, Lucas, constant intense emotions like these aren't good for your health, you know?"_ She cupped both her hands and her eyes glowed a bit. Suddenly, water appeared on her hands! D-dang, that's pretty cool! _"Here, drink some fresh and cool mineral water. It always feels good during a hot summer day and after a long and good cry!"_

He looked over her hands. "Do you have a cup, M-Mesprit?"

She pouted before she made a white cup appear outta nowhere. Was he supposed to drink from her hands? T-that's kinda icky, though…

 _"Here you go."_ She gave the cup, and it felt cold. He quickly drank from it, and it really felt good. _"Do you feel any better now? Should I get you some more?"_

Lucas shook his head, saying that one's okay, and Mesprit smiled. She rubbed the back of his head, and he felt more relaxed when a warm feeling came in his head. Lucas sat back and looked at her, smiling and all that.

 _"Now then. Let's have a not-so awkward introduction."_ Lucas nodded, and Mesprit cleared her throat like a lady and gave him her right hand. _"Hello! I'm Mesprit, the Guardian of Lake Verity. Nice to meet 'cha!"_

He smiled at her cute act and took her hand for a handshake.

"It's nice to meet you, Lake Guardian Mesprit." He smiled and bowed his head. "I'm Lucas, uh, of Twinleaf Town." She put a hand on her mouth and giggled. "W-what's so funny?"

 _"Oh, nothing. You're just too cute, Mister Lucas of Twinleaf Town,"_ she said with a wink.

Oh boy, if he's ever gonna be with her on an adventure or something, he wasn't sure if he's gonna handle her attitude. Not that it's bad or anything. Anyway, what's important to him's that he's on the good side of the Lake Guardian.

That's when it hit him. He remembered that he's gonna ask her something.

"Oh, uh, Mesprit?"

 _"Yes~?"_

"About my cuts and all…"

She sighed. _"Is it about how I should've used my psychic powers instead of manually doing it like a human?"_

"O-oh. D-did you read my mind for that?"

She shook her head. _"You asked the same question a moment ago, and I promised to tell you the reason for my actions."_

Looked like he forgot it while he was letting it all out. Right there, he felt the mood change from friendly to serious, like 'called by the principal' serious.

 _"Well, I'd love to heal you with psychic, Lucas. Really, I do 'cause it's faster and more efficient! But,"_ her face turned serious, _"just who's the one who tried to kidnap a baby starly? Hm?"_

"H-hey! It's Barry! He's the genius airhead who started it!"

 _"Ah-ah-ah~ Who's the one who tried to stop him but still acted against his word_ _and joined him_ _in the end?"_ She put a hand under her chin and looked up. _"Hm~ Maybe they lacked_ integrity _and_ honesty _?"_

Oh shoot, Lucas knew who she's talking about: him. He wasn't really honest with himself. Well, maybe at first, but at the last part? Nah. He didn't want to answer 'cause he felt really guilty. All he could do was frown.

 _"What you've done to yourself is the consequence of misbehaving, Lucas, and I now hope you understand from here on out. I'll soon have a word with your human friend someday. But hey, cheer up, Lucas!"_ He felt his hair being rubbed by her soft hands. _"What's admirable about you was that you still didn't let your human friend down, somewhat."_

"Y-yeah. You're right."

 _"Just don't, and I mean NEVER, do anything crazy in_ my _lake, okay? When that yellow-haired human or your other friends want to cause some terrible trouble here, just say 'no' and go away."_

"B-but, I don't wanna leave my friends like that."

He heard her grumble a bit. She quickly stared at him with her serious golden eyes. The black part was also growing big, but not too much to cover it like a moment ago.

 _"Lucas."_

"Y-yes, Mesprit?"

 _"This is_ my _domain, so don't go tearing up this place like it's nothing important. I'd feel disrespected if you do_. _Go wreck and thrash someone else's land somewhere else, and I wouldn't care. However!"_ She raised a hand up. _"I will make sure that those_ _, be it human, pokémon, or any living being,_ _who deliberately harm this lake's order and its inhabitants without any good reason will face their appropriate consequences."_

He gulped, but he wasn't scared. It's like he's being scolded by his mom or his teachers.

 _"So, Lucas."_ She gently held his cheeks and had this concerned look on her face. _"Do you understand now?"_

"Y-yes, Mesprit." Dang, it really is like talking to his mom and to one of his teachers.

She sighed and ran her hand along his hair. _"I'm not mad at you, and like I said, I would never hurt you, Lucas. You're too precious for me. I don't see you to be the type to become naughty or rowdy. I want you to see you grow up to be a fine man. You really have the potential, as with all pokémon and,"_ her eyes looked away, _"some humans."_

She's really concerned about him, huh. It's almost like… she's his guardian angel and mom, or those kind and loving big sisters on TV.

 _"Lucas?"_

"Y-yes, Mesprit?"

 _"Next time, when you want to play with that yellow-haired human here, but also don't want to cause trouble in my lake, you could just stand at a ve—ry far from him, and I'll show you why you should know better to behave than to be crazy and all."_ She crossed her arm and looked up. _"_ _I just wonder why your friend looks like he won't ever change."_

He sighed. "Trust me, he's really stubborn."

"Kyu!" She pouted. Oh boy, it looked like Barry's gonna get punished soon. Serves him right!

"Well, I still couldn't thank you enough for treating my wounds. I'm really, really thankful and, uh, honoured, Mesprit." He bowed after saying it.

 _"Oh, Lucas. Seeing your growth all these years, I just want to make sure that you're safe and protected. That's all. In fact, I've dealt with those pesky staraptors."_

"Cool… How'd you do it by the way, Mesprit?"

 _"Girl's secret~"_ She closed one eye and put her tongue out. _"I'll tell you once the time's right."_

Dangit, he really didn't like it when people would keep stuff from him, but he'd be alright with it sometimes. Also, it's the fricking Lake Guardian in front of him!

Still, he remembered that pokémon like her are outta this world, literally. She's bubbly and all, but he should be more careful with her 'cause of what the town's people and his school taught him about legendary and mythical pokémon.

He still couldn't believe it, though: this was Mesprit, the Lake Guardian, the one who he's been hearing a lot, especially from the town's oldies that get mad at his friends for being bad. He's always wanted to meet the Lake Guardian, and whaddaya know, she's the one who nursed his cuts! Dang, it's like he's way luckier than Barry, ha!

But, it felt really, really weird. Now that he thought about it, Mesprit, a legendary pokémon, didn't 'demand respect'. That wasn't like what the town's adults and oldies said. They said that they're supposed to be 'mythical creatures who're very strict and didn't have time for fun and games', and the books say that they're heck-a powerful! From the looks of it, Mesprit's fricking strong. She could be friendly and still got time for fun, but was she _really_ like that? This made Lucas become careful again.

Heck, it's his first time meeting her, and he's got a lot of questions running in his head.

 _"Seems to me that you have something more to say, Lucas."_

"L-let me guess, my face looked weird for a sec, right?"

She giggled. _"Aw~ Don't be ashamed! I enjoy talking to you, so feel free to share what's on your mind."_

"I-I know you said that, but…" He wasn't sure at first, but maybe she should know. "It's just that… I feel weird."

 _"At what, Lucas?"_

"Um, well… It's 'cause I…" Uh oh, her face looked worried. "I think it's… um, something doesn't… feel right."

 _"What do you mean by, Lucas?"_

No, he can't just say that she's weirding him out. It's fricking rude! "I-it's nothing, Mesprit. I-I'm sorry, and just please forget about it."

 _"N-no, Lucas!"_ She quickly held his hands. _"I wanna hear it, really!"_ Lucas yelped at what she did, and she quickly let go. _"I-I mean, p-please tell me, Lucas. I want to know what's troubling you."_

S-should he even tell her? Thinking about it, maybe it's best if she knows.

 _"Oh, and uh, Lucas?"_

"Y-yes, Mesprit?"

 _"If my status as the 'Guardian of Lake Verity' intimidates you, then please ignore that."_

"W-what do you mean, Mesprit?"

 _"I want you to see me… as a friend, not some bossy superior or some fancy legendary. W-would that be alright?"_

It couldn't be that bad. Plus, she's been acting all chummy with him. Maybe he could deal with it. Also, his dad used to say 'make friends, good and close friends', so it looked like he's really gonna be straight-up honest to boot.

"M-Mesprit, I-I… t-think…"

Dangit, honesty's the best policy!

"Argh, why's everything so weird? **Why're you acting close with me?!** "

Oh shoot, just why'd he have to yell at her?

Lucas felt that he slapped the Lake Guardian in the face, twice. Looking at her wide golden eyes, he knew he did something wrong. Uh oh, maybe he's gonna get it for real!

"Wait-wait-wait, I didn't mean it as a bad thing, Mesprit!"

She turned her back on him, and that's really bad. She got really quiet, and he felt that he really hit her hard with his words, again.

He tried reaching out to her, only to be stopped by something invisible. Uh oh, he's hearing sniffles! "P-please, Mesprit, hear me out. I'm sorry I yelled again. T-that's the last time it'll happen. P-please, please don't—"

 _"I won't punish you, but please,"_ she turned around after saying this, _"you'd better explain yourself, Lucas!"_ O-oh shoot, she looked mad _and_ teary!

He quickly but carefully explained what's in his mind a moment ago. Now, she knew why he's been weirded out, especially why she's been really 'friendly' to him.

But something's not right. W-why's she still keeping her angry voice up?

 _"So, that's how your fellow humans think of us, huh?"_ Lucas shivered, and he knew he had to shut up. _"To be honest, I don't really think those 'demand respect' sorts of stuff are necessary; it's a bit too much. F_ _or me, j_ _ust the right amount of it is enough — too much isn't. This is probably why your fellow humans remain below us; they'll only depend and turn to things or beings convenient for them and then maintain that bond for greedy reasons. Plus, they'll only create answers to questions that best suit their wants. That's how I think, but I'm not sure what my sisters and the others think."_

Lucas was listening to 'the talk' carefully, like when he'd get it from his Mom. _'S-sisters'? Does she mean… Uxie and Azelf?_ He remembered that there were _three_ Lake Guardians, for Sinnoh legends at least. _And 'others'… They're probably the other legendary and mythical pokémon._

 _"Then again, I understand that your fellow humans see us as supreme deities or god-like creatures and so treat us respectfully, but that sort of respect and all should be for our Creator, and I'm talking about the One greater than Father Arceus,"_ she added.

"B-but, Mesprit. Why… why's it that you see us like that? I-I don't feel right when you put it like that…"

 _"You're asking how I view your kind, right?"_ she repeated his question.

He slowly nodded, and he saw her black part of her golden eyes slowly becoming bigger.

 _" **I hate humans**. They're weak and dependent creatures who are_ nothing _, even to the simplest of pokémon._ _All of their fragile little_ _hearts only have space for malice and ill will. For me, the majority of people who try to summon and call me are scum! They come to the lake in weird as hell costumes and speak to me with 'due respect' even though I sense those jet-black intentions in their soul, and unfortunately, those pokémon controlled by them with similar thoughts are no different… Filthy humans deserve to rot and to die slowly!"_ Mesprit's gems and eyes were glowing really brightly.

W-was this who Mesprit _really_ is? M-maybe those books and video games were right: there were strong as heck gods who're hidden around the world. B-but, she was just like a motherly angel moments ago!

Just why? Why'd she have to be so… _different_?

Still, not all people are bad! Sure, there'll be bad guys, but there'll be good guys, too! He couldn't tell her that, though. He's getting creeped out, and he felt something behind his back, like that feeling when he'd watch a scary movie. Heck, he's sweating buckets!

Suddenly, she went back to normal. _"N-no wait! I-I don't mean you!"_ She quickly floated to Lucas and held both of his cheeks with her hands. _"_ _You're something else; you're much, much more special, Lucas! You're not like any other human or pokémon whom I've come across. So, please… Don't be afraid!"_

He'd be scared right now, but he's trying his best to push it away.

 _C-calm down, Lucas. I-I should relax. Don't overreact. Remember that!_

"M-Mesprit? I-I think we need some space." She's millimetres away from his face, and it's weirding him out.

 _"Oh, s-sorry,"_ She uncupped his cheeks and floated back. _"I got over-excited there. P-please excuse me."_ She covered her face after that.

D-dang, there's really something in her that's causing her to 'change' real quick. Whatever the heck it is, Lucas had to be extra careful with his words 'cause if he didn't, he knew that crazy stuff would happen.

Legendary pokémon, huh. They've been a big question mark to him. Just by hearing those stories back home and reading those folktale books, he knew something's up with those kinds of pokémon. They're also very interesting, but some stories just don't make sense. Also, do all of them _hate humans_ like her? That idea's making him shiver a bit, but she did say that he's 'special'. Just… what the heck does it mean?

About Mesprit, though, she's friendly and scary at the same time, kinda like she could flip a switch in her. Still, she treated his wounds, and he learned a lot from her in just a few moments. He guessed that mythical creatures had some special stuff that made them stronger than anyone else. If that's that, he's only bummed out at how much she _hated humans_ and how her attitude's _very switch-y_. Everything else? He's fine with that.

And then, she has 'sisters'. If he still remembered the Canalave books in his school library, Uxie should be up north at Lake Acuity, near Barry's relatives' home. He'd know. Then, Azelf should be at that rich-kid resort in Lake Valour. Maybe Dawn's heard of Azelf since she's been to that resort.

Still, he really wanted to ask her a lot of stuff, but maybe there's a right time for that. Looked like he should get to know his new… _friend_.

He smiled, thinking of the last word that popped in his mind. Maybe she's not that bad if he got to know her more, but he remembered: she's still the legendary Lake Guardian.

 _"Lucas?"_

"Oh, Mesprit?"

She slowly floated to him. _"You're also asking why I'm 'acting all close' to you, right?"_ He nodded. _"Well… I did say that I want to be your_ friend _, that's why."_ She played with her little hands and looked down when she said it.

He got closer to her. "You're my friend, Mesprit, really!" She lit up when he said that. "It's just that… it feels weird that it's happening just now and so fast. Heck, you're the Lake Guardian of Lake Verity who I just met now, but please don't get me wrong! I'm still really thankful I got to know you, Mesprit, and I won't forget what you've done to me after those stupid staraptors."

 _"I-is that so?"_

He nodded and smiled. "Yes, Mes."

She became shocked and put one hand on her mouth. _"M-'Mes'?"_

Uh oh, he realised what he just joked. "W-wait, I-I didn't mean to say that. I swear! I-it's just that I said 'Mes' without thinking, honest! A-and, I'm sorry if that's a rude thing to you, Mesprit."

 _Frick, why do I keep forgetting that she's the Lake Guardian?!_

 _"No-no! It's alright if you call me that. I mean, I was just shocked when you called me that since I'm not used to others calling me 'Mes'."_

"Oh," Dang, what a relief. He didn't know what'd happen if he's rude to her again. "Who're those 'others' who call you 'Mes'?"

She looked to the ground. _"Only my sisters and a few have ever called me that way, and you're the first human to ever call me that."_ Lucas was interested in who those were, but he didn't really care.

Dang, just how weird this day's gonna get? Looking at Mesprit, everything seemed pretty okay, but the look on her face told him that it's not. Heck, she looked like she was gonna say something, and he just cut her off when he called her 'Mes'. It's like she's thinking hard about something, and it's making Lucas feel bad.

"Hey, Mes?"

 _"Yes, Lucas?"_

"If you're gonna say something to me," he clapped his hands once to make his head clear, "I'm all ears."

 _Dang, now I'm the one telling the Lake Guardian to open up._

She giggled. _"Well, who knew you could read minds now?"_

"Actually, you had that I'm-thinking-hard look on your face," he replied with a smug smile. Dang, it's so cool he's turning the tables!

 _"Oh, Lucas… You're really cute with that look on your face, you know?_ _"_ He turned red at what she said, and she giggled again and put her hands under her chin. Then, her thinking face came back. _"But yes, I'm actually going to say something to you. Well,_ ask _something from you._ "

Lucas nodded. He felt like there's gonna be a test or something, and he got his head ready for anything that came from the Lake Guardian.

 _"And, Lucas? I'll be needing your 100% honesty, alright? Don't worry, I won't be reading your mind. Can I trust you with this?"_

Oh boy, it's really gonna be a test from the Lake Guardian Mesprit. He nodded one more time, and his hands were getting sweaty.

Whatever she's gonna ask him, he had to answer nicely _and_ politely. He shouldn't overact; he shouldn't yell, and he shouldn't lie. He's not gonna get punished right now, no siree! He's already friends with the Lake Guardian, so he shouldn't mess things up!

 _"Lucas, I just want to know truthfully: are you still_ ** _afraid_** _ **of me?** "_ Mesprit asked.

 **Afraid?**

"Of you?" She closed her eyes, so that meant a 'yes' from her.

He's got his answer, but he recalled what the heck's happened from when he got up to where he's at now. All she ever did to him was treat his cuts, comfort him, remind him to behave, and tell him a bit of herself. The thing is, she hates humans, and her personality was a big mystery for him. Heck, who wouldn't freak out if a god came up to someone and then did crazy stuff to them?

He had to tell her the truth, and that's the best answer he could give.

"I guess… **I am**. I'm not gonna lie, Mes. I'm still afraid of you," he confessed, and sighed.

Mesprit opened her eyes, and her tails dropped like clackers. Her mouth became a frowning 'o'. Lucas knew that she's shocked to hear him say that, but he had to shut up and listen before he continued.

 _"I… I see…"_ She looked up to the sky, and there's something that's shining on her cheeks when she did… Whatever the heck that was, it disappeared right away. Looking back at him with a mesprit's normal face he'd see in the books, she floated to Lucas slowly. _"Well, that's okay, Lucas. Thank you, and I really appreciate your honesty."_ She put one hand behind her and closed her eyes again. _"It's… been—"_

"Um, I'm not yet finished, Mes."

"K-kyaun?"

She stopped and opened her golden eyes. It's like he could feel that her eyes were saying 'What?' in an I-don't-believe-you voice.

"I'm afraid of you. That's true," he sighed and then smiled, "but I still got something to say."


	3. 1-3: You're One of a Kind, Mes!

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
** **We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
** **In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 ** _Last edited on: 12th of May 2020_**

* * *

"I'm afraid of you. That's true, but I still got something to say."

Something's different. Mesprit sensed his fear, but there's another emotion behind it that differed from their 'first' meetings…

 _Resolution? Determination?_

Was this it? Has he… _matured_?

 _"What… do you mean? I don't follow…"_

"I mean, it's like this you see," he scratched his head before he continued.

"You got scary and all, but you also nursed my cuts! I'm afraid of you, yeah, but this the first time we're met. Mom's told me to be careful with strangers or weird folks and all, so I'm just following what she said. But, but, you're also different, Mes. I feel like you're one of a kind! I think you're fun and kinda a ditz too. Also it's kinda like you're a big sister and mother mixed in." He chuckled at the last part. "Look, you got all that cool psychic stuff that I wished I'd have! I think, if we continue hanging out together, we'd be the best-est friends ever!" He paused for a moment. "Maybe second best-est friends 'cause of that airhead genius Barry… but you get me, right Mes — gwaagh!"

Out of utmost happiness, she flew to him and embraced him like tomorrow never existed as she tackled him onto the flower bed and repeatedly brushed her head around his neck while wrapping her tails around his torso. Good thing her colleague's ointment's doing its thing and nullifying his pain.

Dammit, she could just claim him as hers _right now_! But no, she had to control her psyche lest everything she's worked for be jeopardised.

 _"Thank you-thank you-thank you-thank you-thank you so much Lucas!"_

 _All those trying for six years, and the wait's slowly paying off!_

"Y-you're welcome, Mes. Oh boy, this is really awkward…"

She couldn't help but tear up from this wonderful achievement. After a moment, she released her newest friend from her embrace and then sat on the flower bed, where he followed suit, too. He could see her teary, amber eyes before she shut and wiped both with her thumb, smiling gratefully and warmly. She let out a squeaky 'kyun' from her lips as well.

"A-are you okay, Mes?"

 _"Oh, this? I get too emotional sometimes,"_ she lied, _"and thanks for your concern, too. Don't worry about me, Lucas."_ She smiled to relax him.

 _Now's not the time for him to know… yet_ _, but how I wish I could tell you the truth immediately. Though if that's going to happen, I'll risk losing his trust, again._

Anyways, there's always the right date for everything, and speaking of dates, it's finally time she gave her would-be mate her reserved pet-name. She's been _dying_ to call him that name in a long time.

 _"Since you've started calling me 'Mes' just recently,"_ she started and resumed floating, _"I think it'd be unfair if I don't return the favour. Don't 'cha think so,_ Lukey _?"_

She playfully winked and cutely stuck her tongue out, and she saw her Lukey cutely blushing at that.

 _Finally, I can call him_ my Lukey _without any constraints._ _Besides, I do deserve this after years of trying,_ she thought and chortled.

"Uh, 'Lukey' sounds nice, but that's the first time someone called me that."

 _"What, don't you like it?"_ She pouted and crossed her arms. Hmph, being cute probably has a few downsides.

"No, no! It's fine, honest!" He waved both hands at that moment.

 _Good grief, talk about a give-and-take…_ she thought and then mentally slapped herself in the face.

He nervously laughed. "Oh well."

It's just so amazing that everything's slowly going into place. Looking at her would-be mate, Lukey, she just wondered how long was left before he became hers. Sure, he's relatively matured a lot, but he's still got a long way to go before he becomes a ripe fruit for the picking. Just imagine all those things she'll do to make him into the 'man he dreams of becoming'. Thinking of that, she couldn't help but quietly squeal and blush. Good thing her face masked the colour of her blushing in some way.

 _Oh, Lukey~ I'll make sure you grow up to be that man you desire~_

She still wanted to talk with him, but she decided to let him do his thing. Besides, she's curious to see how he'll play everything out since it's always her who's been initiating the flow of their meetings.

Then again, she's been growing quite hungry. Hell, her stomach rumbled pretty loudly, and it appeared that he heard it, making him chuckle. She quickly covered her already-blushing face with her tail-tips. Crap, talk about embarrassing!

"Oh, uh, seems like someone's hungry."

 _"S-shut up, Lukey…"_

"If you want, I think I got something for you, but I'm not sure if you're gonna like it."

She lit up when he said that. She hoped it's gonna be something sweet, like those confections and berries he used to give her.

And, she's right. He took out a small transparent wrapper with deep red-brown outlines and a '2x the flavour' inscription, revealing a scarlet confection within the plastic. "I have some bittersweet chocolates if you want, but I don't think you'll like its — woah!"

Before he could even finish, she impatiently leapt towards his right hand and nabbed it from him. Damn, he really should work on his reflexes more!

 _"Ha-ha! Too slow_ _, Lukey!"_ She proudly flashed the snatched candy in front of his cute little face while floating off from him. _"Also, thank you for your kind offering to the Lake Guardian, humble one. I'll make sure you'll be extra blessed by me~"_ she added with a wink.

He blushed and pouted. Ah~, seeing his cute little expressions really made her day complete. Plus, she could tease him playfully _all day_ now that he's slowly warming up to her.

 _A bit far, but nonetheless, I'm inching closer to becoming yours, Lukey~_

"Oh boy, you're really one of a kind, Mes." he shrugged at his ignorance and continued, "Anyway, enjoy, Mes. I'll dig in mine."

He proceeded to get his own. It seemed like he had more, but judging by the look of his worried face while going through his pocket, the rest were either lost during his escape or when he tumbled down. Well, looked like he's successfully retrieved one more left.

These human confections were something else. It's not really at par with the Hall's meals or the berries around her lake, but she's admitted that those humans could craft delicious foods. Hmph, maybe that's all they're worthy of but when it's any food from him, it'd always taste so~ good.

When she tore the wrapper open and made it disappear, she caught him staring at her, probably out of curiousity. Maybe he was still amazed at her psychic prowess?

 _Hm~ I can tease him a bit,_ she planned, smiling.

 _"Like what you see~?"_ she asked while winking and sticking her tongue out, to which he replied with a puzzled look. She giggled at his soon-to-be-ruined innocence and commented, _"You really look funny and cute when you make that face, Lukey~ Let's snack now, alright?"_

Just as she put the entire confection in her mouth, he spoke up.

"W-wait, Mes! Don't eat the… oh no."

"Whaff?" Mesprit squeaked while chewing and tasting the gooey goodness of his gift before swallowing it. Just what's he getting worked up for? He's even muttering something over and over again.

 _"What's wrong, Lukey? Is—"_

H-hang on… There's something slowly burning in her throat and tongue. It's like it's pricking every spot there with small spikes. Crap, she's feeling blazed from inside out like in the seen flames of a slow-heating furnace! D-dammit, it's _spicy_! what the hell's with that spicy human confection?!

She coughed dryly and rubbed her throat, but for some reason, she felt weird pleasure from the spiciness of his gift. Unable concentrate on her telepathy, Mesprit relied on her voice. "What… the hell… L-Lukey… y-you… little…!" she said in between deep breaths.

 _S-shit! I forgot you can't understand our tongue!_

A series of short coughs and reddened cheeks followed until she let out a loud and ear-piercing…

 **"KYA—RGH!"**

She panted heavily, letting her tongue loose. Face as red as a tamato berry, her tearily furrowed eyes momentarily shot daggers towards him. Scanning hurriedly left and right in a desperate search or water, her eyes were locked on the nearby lakeside straight ahead. "W-water, water!"

She huffed and puffed as she made her way hovering towards the lakeside, shoving him off her path.

She laid her body on the grassy soil, took a deep breath, then dunked her entire head inside the water. She pulled her head back up to catch some before repeating the whole thing to ease the spiciness. Shit, good thing the water's cool on this summer day!

While she's at it, she heard him slowly walking towards her. "Uh, M-Mes? Y-you okay…?"

A few more repeats passed before she pulled her head out of the water just to get a good look at his worrywart face. Her angry expression still didn't leave her face, and she could sense he even enjoyed looking at her at her most helpless!

"Just what the fuck was that for, Lukey?!" She grumbled at him and coughed at him before returning her head back underwater.

"Oh crud…" he mumbled. Hmph, at least he somehow got her message.

Slowly, the spiciness was leaving her tongue and throat with the coolness of the water replacing it. Also, when the hell was spicy AND sweet a good combination? Fucking humans and their sick tastes! Maybe she ought to steal one for that pompous Yux and make _her_ feel the it!

Having literally cooled down, Mesprit withdrew her head from the water and shot an infuriated look towards her cute little prankster. Water dripped from her damp face and her appendages drooped from being soaked. Growls escaped her mouth, causing him to emanate uneasiness.

He slowly approached her and said, "Um, Mes? I'll help dry you up—"

 _I am NOT gonna fall for your tricks again, Lukey!_

She raised her left hand to him as he stopped on his heels, surprising him. She proceeded to wring her appendages and shake her head back and forth to force the water out of her head. With her psychic powers, the remaining wetness was removed, as if her head was never soaked in the first place.

"H-hey, that was pretty _hot_. Right, Mes?" he nervously joked with a forced laugh.

She gave him an exasperated look. Was he _really_ saving it up for this moment?

 _"Oh, yes. That was pretty_ hot _, Lukey…"_ Mesprit replied with a series of slow claps and an annoyed look.

"D-did it taste good?"

 _"But of course! It was so~ so~ good and tasty, not to mention_ fiery _in its sweet goodness…"_

"That's… neat!"

 _"Yeah. Neat."_

 _You corny little cutie~!_

A short pause ensued between the two. She took this time to return to her hovering position and crossed her arms. Her annoyed expression never left, and she stared coldly at him.

"A-are you mad or something, Mes?"

Now's her chance. She planned to make him feel bad for a moment. _"Mad? No, no! Of course not. How could I stay mad after eating some sweet candy that tasted like cheri berries on a sugar rush? Hm~?"_ She raised an eyelid at the last statement. He looked like he could sweat out an ocean with his unease. _"Is it my turn to speak now?"_

"Y-yeah, Mes. G-go on…"

 _Brace yourself, my dearest Lukey…_

In a flash, she zoomed in his face and hammered the top of his head, without much force to hurt him, while gluing her forehead to his. The boy just shut his eyes to get an earful, or 'mindful' in this case.

 ** _"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT DOING IN YOUR POCKET?!"_**

She let her furious voice boom in his mind while hammering his head with her small clenched fist, not much to cause pain.

"Argh! I'm sorry! To be honest, it was a bit funny — yahck!"

 _"Wrong answer!"_

She pinched his nose with her free hand and wrapped his arms with her tails. Just what the hell does her little Lukey even eat for snacks? That's an overkill for the tongue!

"Ow-ow-ow-ow! I'ym beingk hohnesht!"

 _"So, it's some pleasure for you to enjoy, huh, Lukey?!"_ she chided with glowing eyes.

"W-wait! Iy cahn engshplain, Mesh! Pleangshe shtop squeezingk mhy noshe!"

 _"Oh, you'd better!"_ she demanded as she backed away from him.

He began by explaining the gist of his plan: buying the extra spicy chocolate, pranking Barry by letting him eat the 'deadly' sweet after doing their business, rolling-on-the-ground-laughing at his would-be pokémon-like behaviour while searching for water, and consuming his own chocolate if there was no opportunity to execute his prank.

Realising this, Mesprit cooled down and began to contemplate why she just came and snatched his candy away from him when she could have just waited for him. Then again, her sweet tooth overpowered her senses, so she simply got embarrassed at that. Damn, she really made a fool of herself in front of him!

"I never wanna prank you in first place, honest! I mean, I didn't even know I'd end up like this or something!"

Mesprit was shocked at that daffy excuse of a plan, and she felt stupid to be the one to take the fall instead of that thick-skulled human. This really piqued her curiousity as to what the two have been up to for their recreation since then. Like, what the hell's with human children nowadays?!

 _"W-what kind of sick kicks do you two have up your sleeves to have fun?"_

"You know Barry's disrespectful 'genius plans' I talked about? Those crazy stuff!" Those 'genius plans'? There's nothing 'ingenious' about stirring up chaos, agitating the peaceful pokémon, and endangering her Lukey's safety under her watch! That fucking yellow-haired devil, she made sure to punish him when the time's right, and he's really going to feel her wrath! "B-but, I swear! I didn't plan on kidnapping an innocent baby pokémon!"

She sighed, calming down before she lost control of herself. _"No, no. It's okay. Didn't we resolve that moments ago?"_

"Oh yeah. I forgot about that…" An awkward silence breezed past their embarrassed selves yet again until he decided to break the ice. "M-Mes?"

 _"Y-yeah?"_

"I think… this wouldn't happen if you didn't swipe my chocolate," he voiced out while scratching his head.

 _"I, uh… You see… I like sweets, so…"_ She cheekily smiled and tugged her pigtails lightly out of embarrassment. _Shit, he's got a point!_

"And you're not _that_ mad at me, right Mes?"

 _"That's just me, Lukey. I'm not really mad, just very annoyed. That's all!"_

"Oh boy, if that's it," he gave her a look of victory, "it's still your fault though," he snarked in a jesting tone.

 _"U-um… About that…"_

Mesprit began waving her tails like a human windmill with her hands at that remark out of her embarrassment. She had already conceded to his logic, silently at least. All she could do was let out an ashamed giggle. Though, she was adamant not to admit to him. Hell, her pride's not gonna be crushed by her cute little Lukey anytime soon!

And then, an idea pinged onto her. A mischievous one, to add. To compensate for her blunder, she would have to challenge him, with her own fair terms. Even though she felt empty before meeting him, she had a penchant for stirring up fun through the form of mischief. It was her opinion that doing so could be a nice escape from insanity.

 _I got it: a little game of tag ought to do the trick,_ she thought and snickered.

 _"Hey, Lukey!"_ she called out unto him.

"Yeah, Mes? Finally admit defeat?" he gloated.

 _"Hm~ Maybe after a game. You in?"_

"Heck yeah, you bet I'm in!" He flashed a thumbs-up at her.

 _"You sure about this? You seem to go for settling the score in times like these."_

"Just so you know, I've only lost to people better than me in these kinds of stuff."

 _That's… not really something to be boastful about, Lukey. But still…_ Mesprit let out an exasperated sigh. _You've_ never _won against me, so I wanna see you try!_

 _"Hm~ Interesting… And your other friends?"_

"Never. Lost."

 _"Ooh~ Quite a resolute one now, aren't 'cha?"_ Mesprit smiled. _Kinda reminds me of that keldeo…_

"Uh, doesn't that mean something courageous…?"

 _"Something like that. 'Determined' is a closer one, though."_

"Really? Then, thanks!"

 _"Oh, Lukey~ Aren't you a cute one…"_ she mused.

 _"All right!"_ she punched her palm. _"The bet's as follows—"_

"If I win," he intruded, "you're the fool for not checking out my chocolate and eating it, fool! Only clumsy people and pokémon do that! Then, you're gonna do anything I'll say!"

 _"'Anything'? Aw~, isn't that a bit harsh?"_

 _Well, I DO want you to claim me as yours right here and now if you can,_ she thought with a snicker.

"Not at all!" he said. Suddenly, he clasped both hands and rapped, "I-don't-really-mean-it-though-please-don't-kill-me!" She laughed at his cute little outburst and revolved around him.

 _"Relax! I'm no meanie; I'm your friend now! So, I can take a few teases from you,"_ she explained and winked at him. He replied with a sour face, probably thinking he's made a fool of himself. _"You sure did, Lukey~"_ she said without reading his mind.

"H-hey! I thought you said no mind-reading!"

 _"But I didn't. Your face just spoke a thousand words! Ha!"_

He grumbled. "When… when this is done, I'll make you whatever you say, you little pixie!"

 _Feisty~ I just hope you'll pleasure me while you're at it~_

 _"Hey now, Lukey. It's my turn. If I win,"_ she shot a naughty look to him, _"it's going to be your fault for pranking me with that God-forsaken spicy sweet, so you'll have to tell me who you're crushing on as payback!"_

"Wha… M-Mes, I don't—"

She silenced him short with a hush and placed her palm on his red lips. Her tail tips alighted on both of his cheeks.

 _Hah! I got him now,_ she gloated in her mind. _That'll give me an idea as to who I need to observe._

 _"Now, now Lukey~ Your outburst and blushing alone proves it."_

"I—"

 _"A-tut-tut-tut-tut. You're telling me you aren't_ man _enough to share me a bit of tidbit? It's just a crush, or is it something more~?_ **"**

He gasped and struggled off of her grasp.

"It's nothing like that!" he declared while blushing. "Fine! I'll prove it to you the 'manly' way: by settling the score and by winning it fair 'n square!"

He pointed his index finger with gusto at her, who giggled at his gesture.

 _"So you do have a crush then… Ah~, you truly are fun to mess with…"_

 _At least our previous dispute's over with,_ she thought. Meanwhile, he blushed at being teased back at. _Though, this crush of his,_ she made a pause with a frown before continuing, _I just wonder who it is._ She closed her eyes to hide her dilating pupils. _Well, whoever this human is, **they won't get in our way**._

Finally, a playdate with her soon-to-be mate. This was no different to their previous playdates, but this one was the most special among all. Having her Lukey accept her as an open friend gave her a sense of accomplishment. This minigame she brought up would seal the deal of their friendship, win or lose. But of course, she shouldn't lose to him, even though he had his _feisty_ terms. If she was going to learn more about him, and his crush, then she had to do it hands-on.

As for his crush, she had a feeling it was one of his human friends. Whoever it was, she needed to know. She's kinda bothered as to who his crush was, but if it was unknowingly mutual, she had to step in before she'd lose her Lukey almost indefinitely. That, he'll only have her in his life, and no human would _ever_ dare come close to their happy life.

 _"Alright! As our first-ever, friendly, honorary bet-off, we're gonna settle it over…"_

She sped up to him, but before she could even lay a tap on him, a familiar and disgusting voice froze her movement.

"Lu—cas!"

The blond human. That damn troublemaker.

This voice screeching over the distance annoyed her more than it did startle. Dammit, it sounded like he could arrive here in a few minutes.

"B-Barry?" he said and turned to the direction of the voice.

"Shit…!" she cussed out loud. Good thing he didn't understand a lick of it. _"Lukey… it seems like our little playdate will have to be postponed to another date…"_

"What? Why?"

 _"'Cause your airhead friend has just entered the lake,"_ she replied, broodily.

"Do you have something with him, though?"

 _"It's nothing like that!"_ She shook her hands in her defence. _"It's just… I thought we could've played our little game and stayed a bit longer."_

"Wait, I know! Maybe I can let him know you, then we can play our little bet with him together. A 1-v-1-v-1 game!"

 _"Y-you mean introduce? No thanks, Lukey. I'll pass this one."_

"What's the matter, Mes? Torchic?" he added with a joking sneer.

 _"H-hey! I'll have you known I'm braver than you think!"_

"So? Why couldn't you just introduce yourself to him? I bet he's here to apologise."

 _"Yeah, he'd better. Anyway, Lukey, I just can't. Alright?"_

"Oh fine, party-pooper…"

She could sense his disappointment, but all she could do was frown. She also felt that he found her reasoning a bit lacking. Well, it's unreasonable for him that she'd just plainly call off a little introduction just to continue their game.

But then, she'll just inch closer to losing him, even if it's just by a particle size. She wouldn't want that after coming this far. She sighed and hovered a little closer to him and spoke up.

 _"Oh alright. Listen up, Lukey… I know you're thinking that I'm being irrational and all, so I'll fill you in. We still have some time left."_

"Pinky-swear that's gonna be true?"

 _"Pinky-what?"_ she asked and stared at him with confusion. It's the first time she's ever heard of this 'swearing' from him.

"A pinky-swear. Something that'll make us know that what we'll be saying is true. It's like this. Here, I'll show you how to do it."

He beckoned for her right hand. He raised his pinky finger and asked her to raise her finger too, only to see that she was bi-fingered.

"Dangit, how's this gonna work?"

He seemed to be deep in thought for this 'swearing' to be executed.

W-wait, were they going to h-hold hands? Thinking about that, her breathing quickened.

 _N-no. Relax, Mesprit. Don't let your colours show just yet. You'll have all the time in the future._

His snapping pulled her back to reality. "Got it. First, I wrap my pinky finger," he waggled his pinky for her, "and then you give me your, uh, thumb."

 _"You mean this?"_

She gave her own version of a thumbs-up and then neared it to his petite pinky.

"Yeah. Next we twirl each other's fingers like this," he explained as they both twirled their fingers and looked at each other's eyes.

 _Lukey's fingers are just so~ so~ smooth and firm, but_ _…_

 _"Nothing's happening, Lukey,"_ Mesprit impatiently remarked.

"That's the thing. It's kinda a personal thing for it to work once I say something," he replied.

 _"Oh! So it's kinda like a physical and verbal way of ensuring an honourable and honest thing, right?"_ he nodded, with her giggling.

 _"Then, don't worry. You'll be receiving the truth, and nothing but the truth from my mouth."_

"I'll say it again: pinky-swear that it'll all be true?"

 _"Pinky-swear!"_

Their entwined fingers tightened, and she quickly got an idea. She trusted him, but she had to conjure a way to prevent him from talking about their meeting if he was being pressed, especially by that disgusting human. Recalling Yux's and her superior's boring description of a concealment spell, she discreetly passed her powers to him and activated it. That spell was best transferred upon contact, and this was the best opportunity. Mesprit made it that whenever her Lukey would unintentionally or intentionally reveal anything delicate about her, he would be prevented from doing so. She didn't know how it happened, but it was said to work countless times.

 _Maybe that's the purpose of this 'pinky-swearing': a contract between parties or such, but how could humans…_ She quickly perished the thought once it came to the point of involving humans.

 _"I'll just make it brief since your airhead friend might be looking for you,"_ she said after releasing their fingers. _"Okay, Lukey, so, I'm a legendary pokémon. Ooh~ Wow~ Scary~"_ He chuckled at her when she imitated a ghostly narration. She also chuckled as a response before returning to her explanation.

 _"We legendary pokémon shouldn't expose ourselves much to other human beings since we're, you know,_ quite important _in keeping the world in check._ _I, as well as my sisters and some others, am stationed in the eastern part of the world. I think we called it the 'Eastern Pacific Terminal 1 of the Hall' or something._ _There are more of me in this world, but each one of us has a ve_ _—ry important role, like pillar-of-the-building important,_ _and there are many more different legendary pokémon scattered throughout the rest of the Earth. We might get kidnapped, captured, 'experimented' with — whatever that means — and locked up tight. Those bad guys are gonna use us for wacky stuff, and we know it. I can handle them! But strength in numbers can be dangerous. That's why… I've gotta hide from those evil humans, and please don't tell anyone that you saw me right here and now!"_

 _Well, I don't if you got it all, Lukey, but there's that…_

"O-okay then. I'll zip my mouth, but… Barry's a good guy! Dense, but still kind! And you revealed yourself to me, in the flesh! So, why?"

Mesprit gulped at trying to answer that. She planned to let him know in the near future that she actually met him before, and that revealing herself to more humans was breaching the Hall's codes. Hell, meeting him was without permission, so she's definitely screwed!

Then again, she didn't care as long as she was with him in the end… Well, maybe spoiling him a _little_ wouldn't hurt. He was suspicious at one point, so she had to clear up some of it in order for him to trust her _and_ to accept her fully.

That, undoubtedly, would have occurred, had it not been for a disgusting screeching human interrupting their tête-à-tête.

 **"Lu—ca—s!"**

The calls of his name grew louder and felt closer too.

"Aw, for the love of—!" both exclaimed in unison out of annoyance.

They then looked at themselves and burst into laughter for coinciding their outbursts. He tapped the grass bed with his hand while she rotated midair and twirled her tails.

 _"Hey, that's my line, Lukey!"_

"First come, first served, Mes!"

Upon calming down, they faced each other once more and smiled at each other.

She used their remaining time together to look into his eyes; really, they look like they've changed over time. She wasn't a seer, but maybe this was a sign for something fated to happen. Either that, or she just can't wait to see the look on his face when she — no — _**they**_ reach their ultimate goal.

 _"Oh Lukey…"_ she commented as her face grew bashful in front of him.

"Um. I guess I've gotta get going now, Mes," he excused himself and stood up.

 _"L-Lukey?"_

"Yeah, Mes?"

 _"I… I look forward to our next meetup! Please, please do visit soon,"_ she requested with a hint of a pleading tone.

"Sure thing. That's what friends do, right?" He paused for a moment while standing up, maybe he was thinking of something. "Since I don't really have anything else to give you as my thanks, think of what I'm gonna do as my thanks for patching me up."

She was a bit confused. _"Huh? What are you gonna do? What do you mean, 'thanks'? Lukey, I—"_

He approached Mesprit and pulled her into an _embrace_. Shocked and frozen for a moment, she blushed as she looked towards him bug-eyed. She didn't expect this. It took some seconds to realise he was _hugging her_! This was new! He's initiated it! Not her!

 **HER LUKEY WAS HUGGING HER FOR THE FIRST TIME!**

 _HE-HUGGED-ME-_ _HE-HUGGED-ME-_ _HE-HUGGED-ME-_ _HE-FUCKING-HUGGED-ME!_

"Thanks, Mes. I just hope you won't be all that scary again," he said and chuckled while hugging her.

Calming down a bit, she also returned the favour by hugging him back around his neck and closed her eyes serenely, rubbing her head unto his. She really wanted this moment to last, but there's always a next time. If only that disgusting human wasn't here, and she'd have him and take his—

 _Wait-wait-wait-wait, he's only a child! I wanna wait until he grows up…_

 _Hah! You'll ultimately give in to your desires, but very well. We can manage._

 _C-can I at least savour this moment?_

 _You mean 'we', but alright. Lukey's here with us, so just shut up and enjoy this._

 _Stop acting like children, both of you. The brain and soul can only handle so much._

She sighed at her internal psyche. She hated arguing with herself, but that shouldn't be an issue now. She couldn't care for anything but this divine moment. Oh, just this was heaven for her: feeling his soft embrace and rather gooey body from the ointment she gave him.

"I love you, Lukey," she squeaked. "I really, really love you, my dearest Lukey~!"

"I don't know what that meant," he chuckled and released himself first. "But, you're welcome too!" He looked up to think if his reply was appropriate and then mused, "I guess?"

He scratched his head in wonder, to which she giggled. Language barriers are pretty nifty. Maybe Yux wasn't merely spewing nonsense at that time…

She hummed in false affirmation. _"You guessed it right. Thank you too, Lukey!"_ she thanked him gleefully. _"Let's hang out some more, alright?"_

"Yeah, Mes. I'm gonna go—"

 _"Wait up!"_

She zoomed in front of him as he turned away from her. She was now in front of him and had a serious face. She held up her thumb in front of his face, hoping he'd get her signal. Luckily, he looked like he understood her.

 _"Promise me, Lukey,"_ she pleaded. _"Promise me that you'll see me again. The sooner the better. In the same place. Also, keep our meeting and my identity a secret, please?"_

Both eyes were locked onto one another. One pair looked as if it was begging for it. The other pair emanated sureness and affirmation.

"I promise and pinky-swear, Mes. If it's catching up with friends or secret-keeping, you can count on me!"

He smiled genuinely. Meanwhile, she felt the relief of his honesty and not having to be too alone when she stayed in the lake. For the first time in her life, she had made a _real_ friend to lean unto unlike her kind.

With that, their fingers entwined the second time; both had made a promise neither would forget. She let a bit of her essence flow into him while they were at it, and his face told her that he liked it.

"For the love of—! Lucas! I know you're here!" the screech only grew louder by the passing second. Barry was already close by.

They both yelped at that. She turned invisible for a moment, too. Both knew it was time to part ways.

 _"Lukey, before you leave, don't you dare break our promise over something stupid!"_

"C'mon, Mes. I promise!" he assured. "I really gotta go now. See you, Mes!"

"Bye-bye, Lukey~!" Mesprit cried.

With both parties retracting their hands, he immediately dashed towards the forestry and waved at her while running before disappearing from her sight. She jubilantly waved back while flying a circle around her position before she teleported back to her abode. She swore she heard a thudding sound before she did.

In her resting place, Mesprit floated over a large oddly-shaped pond within the recesses of a cavern and flew ecstatically.

 _Oh, Lukey~_ she thought. _You'd better see me again!_

Droplets dripping the puddle underneath resounded within the walls of the cavern in a long time. Her heartfelt emotions gave off a soothing ambience throughout Lake Verity. If one besides her were to feel it, they'll surely feel jubilant and carefree.

Meanwhile, during Mesprit's fits of happiness, she felt a presence enter her cave, but it was a friendly one that she didn't feel the need to be wary of. Wiping her eyes, she faced towards the direction of what seemed to have teleported to her cavern.

This was an unexpected visit, but she knew for a fact that they meant no harm.

 _"Oh! I didn't expect you to visit me at a time like this. What's up?"_

After a short talk, the Lake Guardian's joyful self quickly turned into the opposite. An upsetting message just had to turn her cheerful day around.

Fuck, just when everything seemed to go all too well.


	4. 1-4: Urgencies

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 _ **Last edited on: 4th of May 2020**_

* * *

Oh boy, Lucas was gonna get another earful from that airhead Barry, but he's prepared this time.

Barry's probably the most impatient guy he's ever known. He really _hated_ waiting like it's his mortal enemy. Oh yeah, and he'll straight-up say how much he hates waiting for anyone, but he still doesn't have the guts for that in front of his parents. He'll always wuss out if it's his parents!

"Lucas! Where the heck were you, and what were you doing there?!" Barry pointed to the place from where Lucas came out from.

"I should've asked you that when you ditched me, ditcher!"

"Shut up! It was, um, a tactical retreat! I was saving myself before coming after you. I mean, look at you; you're in good shape. You can't blame me, and don't call me ditcher!"

Lucas groaned at Barry's rock-hard pride. Dang, nothing's gonna get through his thick skull!

Wait, maybe…

"Oh, I can blame you alright." Lucas was gonna show Barry his ripped t-shirt and bandages. That'll teach him! "Just take a _good_ look at… at…"

W-wait, something's happening to Lucas. It's like something's not letting him get mad at Barry.

"Ha! What's up, Lucas? You… feeling… strange…?"

Dang, it's like Barry's feeling the same thing as Lucas. Whatever the heck that was, it felt good! It's like finally getting an award at Recognition Day, times ten!

Wait, why's he mad again?

"L-Lucas… I feel… Whoo!" Barry exclaimed. "I don't even know why I'm mad! How about you?"

"Yeah, this feels good! What the heck were we doing anyway?"

"Don't know, don't care!" Suddenly, Barry tugged Lucas to him. "Lucas, look!" he said while pointing around the lake.

Wow, there weren't this many pokémon before! There were bidoofs and bibarels running around, starlies and staravias chirping on the trees, psyducks and golducks swimming around, seakings and gyarados jumping on the lake, and weird blue spider pokémon water-walking on the lakeside. Dang, this was awesome!

 _Mes, are you doing this?_ _I've never seen these pokémon before, like those gyarados and spider pokémon!_ Lucas thought.

After a few moments, the water pokémon began going back into the water, and the on-land ones went back to the bushes. Barry said that he saw shadows of a sun and crescent moon behind the thick woods. How weird, but it looked like the show's ended.

Also, that good feeling wasn't in Lucas anymore when the pokémon left for home. Dang, he hoped it'd be forever!

"Hey, Barry," Lucas turned to him, "that was kinda cool. Right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Barry replied impatiently, "but enough of that! I got something cool to tell you, Lucas, so hear me out!" He grabbed Lucas' arms and fidgeted like mad. Lucas wasn't really surprised 'cause he knew what Barry's gonna say.

"Another _genius_ plan, Barry? 'Cause sign me out. I'm beat after today."

"Even better!" Lucas shivered. What the heck could be worse than his genius plans? "Lucas, I heard a pokémon cry. A really loud one too!"

"We're in Lake Verity, Barry. That could—"

"It's not just any random pokémon cry!" Barry cut. "It's the cry of the _Lake Guardian_! It sounded like, 'Kyau—n!' or something."

Lucas' eyes widened. Fricking impossible! How could've he heard it? Mes was with Lucas the whole time, and she didn't yell—

Oh shoot! That candy! Maybe what Barry said was true. Dangit, it's all Lucas' fault Barry's on Mes' tail, and just when they'd pinky-swore!

 _Just play dumb, Lucas!_

"U-um, w-what do you mean, B-Barry?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Lucas! We all know about the Lake Guardian!" Barry scratched his head angrily. "Fine, I'll read out the exact words on that post we keep on seeing everyday at the entrance! Prepare to be amazed by my practiced memorisation skills!"

Rubbing his head, he began to say:

 **"According to legends,  
the lake is home  
to the pokémon said to be the  
'Being of Emotion'.  
It is because of this pokémon that  
people and pokémon alike  
can experience sorrow and joy."**

Lucas look at him bug-eyed. _Oh crud, he really memorised it?_ He quickly shook his head. It's not the right time to be shocked! "S-so who're we talking about, again?"

"Holy crap," Barry said with bug-eyes. "Don't tell me you actually forgot about _Mesprit_?"

What a relief. He actually bought it! "Y-yeah! Who's Mesprit? Don't know anything about mesprits."

"Oh c'mon, Lucas! You know, the Lake Guardian, the Being of Emotion, the legendary pink-head pixie 'mon! Don't you remember those weird stories back home?"

"O-oh, I-I remember now!" Lucas replied while nervously laughing. Uh oh, Barry's starting to look at him with a bad eye. "N-no, really! I do!"

Barry started laughing. "You're a bad joker, Lucas! C'mon, you live in Twinleaf and you don't know about Mesprit? Bullcrap, Lucas. Bull-to-the-crap!"

Lucas gripped his hand while smiling. _I swear, Barry. Just a little more, and you're gonna get it!_

"Anyway! That's why I'm here for you." Barry pumped a fist into the air. "The hunt for Mesprit begins today!"

Oh boy, Lucas kept himself from laughing. "Barry, don't be stupid. That's like finding a needle in a haystack! Besides, we don't even have anything on us to capture her." Barry quickly gave Lucas a weird stare. "What the heck are you doing, Barry?"

Lucas was weirded out, and he walked towards the way out. Barry followed him.

"Hey, don't leave me alone! What did you say?" Barry asked

"We need poké balls. P-O-K-accented E-space-balls. Tools for catching pokémon. Isn't that common knowledge right now?"

"That's not it, Lucas."

"What do you mean?"

"How'd you know that Mesprit's a _she_?"

Oh shoot, his tongue slipped. That stopped Lucas from walking, and he looked at Barry with a straight face.

"You just said 'her'. I don't even remember any of the town's oldies saying something about its gender."

Lucas stared at Barry for a moment. "Mesprit looks girly in those textbooks, so I'd imagine her to be a girl."

 _Shoot, that's another close call. Please don't kill me, Mes…!_ Lucas shivered when he thought of getting caught red-handed.

"Oh, I thought you checked its—"

"Woah-woah-woah! That's gross!"

Barry began laughing. Dang that airhead perv! "Anyway, it's not like you met _her_ in person. Like you'll ever! _She'll_ only appear in front of someone handsome and brave — yours truly!" He bowed like a gentleman to Lucas.

Lucas sighed. _And that's where you're wrong, Sir Genius…_

"That's why, I'll be catching Mesprit for us!" Barry ran to Lucas's front and grabbed his shoulders. Dang, it felt like something bad's gonna come up one more time. "This is something that's gonna make us cool and blow everyone away, especially Dad! Catching a legendary pokémon is gonna be the best summer experience we're ever gonna have in this wicked life, and I'm not backing out from this! And you, Lucas," Barry poked Lucas' chest, "are gonna help me get that dream come true! We'll share Mesprit together, but I'm gonna have more time with it!"

Okay, Barry's got to calm the heck down! He's always nagging about this plan and that. Lucas was _not_ gonna join this crazy plan 'cause he knew what'd Mes do to him and Barry.

Oh shoot, her 'consequences'!

Thinking about it made Lucas scared. He didn't wanna see her acting all creepy and scary, especially when her eyes turned from golden to black! No siree, he wasn't gonna join his plan at all!

"Hey! Are you even listening, Lucas?" Barry asked. "I know you can't say 'no', Lucas!"

Lucas got out of Barry holding him. "Sorry, Barry. I don't wanna make the Lake Guardian mad. C-can we at least find something else to do?"

Suddenly, something dinged in Lucas. He quickly remembered that they painted a tree with honey a week ago or something. Oh yeah, they could go for that! "H-how about that tree we painted with honey? Let's just wait for some pokémon there! We can even use our poké balls we got from our parents." Lucas really wanted Barry to forget about that crazy plan of capturing Mes. Heck, that's crazy talk!

"I know, I know, but I hate waiting, Lucas! I don't even know how long we've waited for even a combee to get there!" Suddenly, Barry cheekily smiled. "Hold up, are you scared?"

Uh oh, he noticed!

"N-no! I'm not! I just wanna—"

"Ha! Scaredy-Lucas, scaredy-Lucas! You're not _man_ enough!" Barry made a shape of an 'L' on his forehead and fricking stuck his tongue at Lucas!

"I-I'm not—"

"Nye-nye-nye-nye-nye! Scaredy-Lucas can't even man up to a legendary!"

Lucas didn't wanna yell, but he just couldn't keep it in! He hated being teased like that, hated it! He's even feeling his eyes getting—

 _No, I can't cry right now!_

"SHUT UP!" Lucas yelled at his face. "I'll join your fricking plan, so shut up!"

"Finally! We'll get our poké balls from our houses. I'll get yours, alright? Alright! Race you! Don't make me fine you, Lucas!"

"Wait, what—"

But before he could even finish, Barry'd already made a beeline outta his face. Oh crud, this was bad! Lucas did _not_ just say 'yes' to that!

Lucas quickly ran after him to Twinleaf. "Hey, Barry! I was joking, I — oof!"

Oh crud, what the heck did he bump into? Whatever it was, it's kinda buff, and he heard something fall.

"What in blazes?" someone said.

Opening his eyes, Lucas saw a white-haired in a brown coat. Frick, he crashed into a man! Wait, it's an _old_ man!

"A-ah! Please excuse me, sir! I wasn't watching where I was going," Lucas said while bowing. "Oh, y-your briefcase, sir! A-allow me!"

Lucas saw his brown briefcase opened up on the ground. There were lots of papers, poké balls, and a weird red thingamajig lying on the ground, too! Lucas quickly stuffed them back in the briefcase, and he made sure it's tidied up! Dang, old guys were really scary if they're mad!

"Young man," the old man said, making Lucas jump.

"Y-yessir!"

"Please watch your step next time. Someone may get hurt. I came across another one of the same age as yours, presumably. He narrowly avoided crashing onto me."

"Y-yes, sir!" Lucas bowed one last time. "I'm really, really sorry, sir!"

"Now, now. I am also at fault for not watching my step, so to speak."

"Huh? Really, sir?" Lucas shook his head. What kinda reply was that? "I mean, I hope it wasn't too bad, sir!"

"Don't get worked up too much, young man. I understand what you mean." He quickly looked at Lucas' t-shirt. "What happened to your t-shirt? It appears to be ripped and sullied. Are you hurt in any way?" the man asked.

Lucas just remembered: keep it a secret! "I'm not hurt, sir. My shirt just got snagged earlier by a branch by the lake."

"Really? And that caused that much dirt?" The old man shook his head. "Do be careful next time. Here, I have a little something for your troubles and your efforts."

The man got some golden candy from his coat-pocket. He showed it to Lucas, and it looked like he's smiling behind his mustache.

"This is a candy from the Kanto region. It's rather tasteless upon first bite, but allow the sweet vanilla to melt in your mouth, and a majestic aftertaste will keep you in good spirits until your dinner time," he explained.

"O-oh no, sir. I can't accept things from strangers. Thank you, though."

"I insist, young man. Nothing harmful is in this, and I am no stranger to your small town as well. I take it that your parents even know me, and I'm sure we've met before. This is my thanks for arranging my briefcase's contents for me."

"R-really, sir? Then, I humbly accept your offer. Thank you once more, sir!"

"You're welcome, young man. Now if you'll excuse me," the man fixed his coat and patted his pants, "I have some research attend to. Until we meet again."

The old man went into Lake Verity. Lucas was weirded out at what happened.

Weird enough for Lucas, that old man looked pretty familiar…

 _I think… he was a speaker in school or something._

Well, whatever. Lucas just looked at the candy he had. It read, 'Aunt Merlinda's Best: Vanilla-Caramel — A product of Celadon Dept. Store'. Lucas wasn't really hungry, so he just kept it in his pocket.

 _Now, where's that—_

And then, thud! Someone bumped into Lucas' back, and he knew who the heck that was.

"Dammit, Lucas!" Barry screamed at his face. "Watch where you're going! I'd be fining you a gazillion dollars if you weren't my friend! Whatever, I got the balls now!" Barry presented four of them, looking a bit dusty.

"Wait a minute! Did you just get two from my house?"

"Yeah! You said I could, right?"

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes, you did! Now, take these and follow me!"

Lucas stared at him hard when Barry shoved two balls into his hands.

But still, he's gotta pull himself outta his plan, ASAP! He didn't want anyone to get punished by Mes!

"Barry, I—"

"Race you to the legendary, Lucas! Time is money!" Barry cut him, again, and ran to the lake.

Oh crud, nothing's gonna get into Barry's head with that, but Lucas had to tell him! Lucas shrunk his balls and ran after him to Lake Verity. He saw his best friend standing and shouting by the lake with two poké balls on each hand.

"Mesprit! Come on out!" he yelled. "You're in there, I know it!"

Lucas ran to his back and shook him. "Barry, listen to me! I don't wanna join this crazy plan, and don't yell Mesprit! The Lake Guardian's gonna kill you!"

But Barry just didn't wanna listen, and he shook Lucas off him. "Don't hush me up, Lucas!"

"Barry, please! Stop!"

"Hell no!" Barry faced the lake and continued yelling. "If you don't show yourself, I'm gonna fine you!"

 _C-crud, he's not gonna listen, but Mes said he's gonna get it…_

Hang on, didn't Mes say something else, that Lucas had to stand far away from Barry? Oh boy, Lucas didn't like ditching Barry, but he did it to Lucas when he ran away… Argh, what the heck!

Mes or Barry?

"Mesprit! Come on! Show yourself, please!"

Barry whistled, like he's calling for a poochyena or something. Dangit, that's just plain disrespectful!

That's it, Lucas was gonna follow Mes, and he slowly backed away. Barry's too stubborn!

Oh yeah, the old man's also in the area. While Barry's yelling for the Lake Guardian, Lucas looked for the old man around. He thought that the old man's becoming annoyed at Barry's stupid yelling.

 _Please don't get mad at us wherever you are, mister,_ Lucas prayed.

Suddenly, Barry shouted something that caught Lucas.

"Mesprit! If you don't show up, I'm gonna punch Lucas!"

That shocked and annoyed Lucas, and he ran to Barry. "What the heck are you doing trying to do? Keep me outta this, and I don't wanna join anymore!"

"Oh, shut up! You're in this even if you don't like it, and I figured that Mesprit'll come out if I followed those stuff in the movies, maybe!"

"That movie trick's not gonna work, Barry, and don't include me in it!"

Oh crud, he's really ignoring Lucas! Barry raised his poké ball and kept on yelling, "I swear, Mesprit! I'm gonna do it; I'm gonna beat my friend to a pulp!"

"Barry, cut it out already!" Lucas was becoming more and more worried, and he tried dragging Barry away. But no, Barry kept on shaking Lucas off.

"I know you can hear me, Mesprit! I'm really gonna do it! I'll **smash** Lucas flat! I'll **gut** him to the bone! I'll — gu-wargh!"

What the heck, something bright hit Barry square in the chest! Barry cried out in pain and landed on the ground.

"Barry!" Weird enough, a strong wind suddenly blew in. Lucas rushed to Barry, who's holding his chest in pain. Looking at his wrists, they're a bit red, and there's a sizzling sound from his chest.

"I told you not to do that, and now you've made Mesprit angry!"

"Crap-crap-crap! Why didn't you stop me, then?!"

"I tried to. You just didn't listen, you airhead!"

"S-shut up and help me up!" Lucas quickly helped him stand up. Barry patted his clothes. Just then, Lucas heard something coming right at him. "Move!" Barry shouted.

Barry shoved Lucas away and quickly rolled away. The attack missed and hit the ground with a small bang. Lucas landed on the ground, and his poké balls fell out. He quickly stood up, and he's a bit far from Barry.

Lucas tried to calm down. He knew that panicking's gonna bite his butt, so he looked around the lake for anything moving and anything dangerous.

Then, he saw it. A beam of bright stars was fired from the centre of the lake, but it's only going to hit Barry!

"Barry, look out!" Lucas yelled.

Barry dodged the stars, but then, another wave was shot to Barry. He used his arms to cover his face, and he fell to the ground. Some stars only hit his hands that covered his face.

"Shoot, that was close!" Barry exclaimed.

 _I know that move: Swift! It never misses!_ Lucas thought.

"Lucas, do somethi — woah!" Barry quickly rolled to his right and stood up to run away from the stars. Dang, they're only going for Barry, so it's really Mes who's doing this!

Lucas ran to the lakeside and saw something wavy-looking at the centre of the lake. There were even bright balls going around that wavy-looking thing, so those're where they're from!

 _That's Mes! She's busy punishing that airhead, too… I gotta stop her!_ Lucas thought.

"Mesprit!" he shouted in a serious tone. "Please stop this right now!"

Suddenly, the star-beams stopped firing, and it looked like that wavy-looking thing's staring at Lucas. For a moment, it just floated there. Lucas looked at Barry, and he's kneeling down and saying something Lucas couldn't hear.

"M-Mes…" Lucas said, a bit quietly. "I-it's a joke. I'm fine, s-see? I'm okay!"

"Kyau—n. Kyuki~" the silhouette cried.

"And!" Lucas shouted. "Just so you know:

 **"I'm not afraid of you!"**

When Lucas said this, he wanted to remind Mes of their pinky-promise, and he hope she got his message. The spirit of Mes just quietly floated for a moment before disappearing.

At that moment, a pink flash of light blinded Lucas a bit. When he opened his eyes back open, everything seemed pretty normal. Even Lucas' clothes looked pretty cleaner than before.

"Woah, the pain's gone, Lucas!" Barry wondered. "That's totally wicked, too!" Barry put his arm around Lucas' neck and looked at the lake. Later, they picked up their poké balls and shrunk them.

"No more crazy pokémon hunting, please?" Lucas begged. "I've had enough 'genius plans' for today. I just wanna see if our honey bait worked…"

Barry nodded. "Yeah. Let's just wait for the tree with honey then!"

Lucas sighed. "Oh boy, it just gets weirder and weirder…"

"What in blazes is going on?!"

Oh, it's the old man moments ago. He also showed up from where Lucas bumped with Barry after seeing Mes. Oh crud, he looked steaming, and he's running up to the both of them!

"Crap, an old geezer! See you, Lucas! Thanks again…!" Barry said while running away.

"The heck, Barry? Don't you dare leave—"

 **"Hold it!"**

S-shoot, that really echoed in his head, and it even stopped Barry from running away! Dang, old people and their weird tricks. Lucas called Barry back, and Barry grumpily went to Lucas' side. The old man stood in front of them like tower.

"So this… this is the generation entrusted to shape the future? All I see are irresponsible children looking for trouble. For shame, both of you, for shame."

Lucas bit his lip and looked away, shamefully.

"What would your parents think of you, endangering yourselves and causing mayhem in this sacred area? Not to mention infuriating the very Guardian of Lake Verity, Mesprit, for your silly little games." The old man gave Barry an icy glare. "I deduce that both of you are partners-in-crime for the chaos that ensued within Lake Verity, but I believe that it's all thanks to the mastermind of the duo, _Barry_. What would your father think of you?"

"S-sir, I—"

Lucas lightly hit Barry with his elbow, and it looked like Barry got the message. Looking ashamed, Barry looked away.

"At least your other friend comes off to have grown out of his childishness, from what I can observe now, that is. However!" The old man focused on Lucas, now. "None of your disastrous plans would be set in motion, had it not been through your combined efforts, am I right, _Lucas_?"

All Lucas could do was stoop his head down. Nobody could really talk when old people were yelling at them.

"Please face me. I am talking to both of you. Children these days neglect their respect, it seems," the old man said. "Know this," the old man raised his pointer finger of his free hand, "I will not turn a blind eye to the events that have just transpired in front of me during my extensive research. Aside from disrupting my concentration, you have disturbed the peace of Mesprit herself. Clearly, both of you deserve to be severely punished."

Lucas quickly shut his eyes, and he felt that Barry did the same. Oh boy, he really hated getting punished by old people.

"That is, if I was too old and cranky for my age."

"Huh?" the boys said together and then looked up to the old man.

"I am mad at you both, yes, yet seeing as you are all but hurt, I intend to reserve my punishment for another time." A smile appears to have formed under his mustache. "If you are fine and well, mostly thanks to the Lake Guardian, it's best if I do not make you feel any more discomfort to the point of no return."

"So that means… what, exactly, sir?" Lucas asked while scratching his head.

"I think he means that if we're just okay, he won't yell or get mad real hard at us anymore," Barry filled in.

"What a crude way to interpret it," the old man commented, "but that's a good explanation in your breadth of knowledge."

"Then that means we're good, sir?" Lucas happily asked.

"No, not entirely," the old man replied, and Lucas became bummed out. "Both of you still have to redeem yourselves."

"H-how, sir?" Lucas asked.

"That's for both of you to find out. Now, I must be off since my work here is through. Excuse me." The old man fixed his tie before going out of the lake.

 _That's a pretty lazy reply. I think Barry thinks so, too,_ Lucas thought. Looking at Barry's annoyed face, maybe he's right.

"Oh, and another thing." The old man stopped and looked at them. "Please do take extra care of yourselves next time, and extend my regards to your parents." With that, the weird old man left the lake.

Barry and Lucas were now left alone in the lake. Well, that old man had a scary look, but it's like he's kind deep inside.

Lucas wanted to break the ice first, so he asked, "What did you think he's gonna do, Barry?"

"Beats me, but I guess all we have to do is wait for that honey tree to attract some pokémon."

Lucas felt that Barry's answer's kinda weak. It's not like Barry to be behaved. "Let me guess, those man's words touched your heart, right?"

"Yeah, true," Barry admitted. "I don't feel like creating any genius plans right now."

 _He's still thinking about that…?_ Lucas thought.

Suddenly, something snapped near them, and a tree's rustling near the lake's entrance! Lucas what that meant, and it looked like Barry got it, too.

Barry looked at Lucas with a smile. "I know you heard it!"

"Yeah, Barry. Let's go!"

They got their poké balls out, and they hid near the tree they'd painted with honey.

Oh yeah, they hit the jackpot!


	5. 1-5: Gotcha!

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 _ **Last edited on: 7th of May 2020**_

* * *

Not one, but two pokémon were eating the painted honey. One's a munchlax, and the other's a chatot. It looked like the cub pokémon's the one that snapped the twig.

"You know what, Lucas? You do the planning. My brain's dead," Barry said, and Lucas gave him the I-don't-believe-you face.

"Wait, are you for real, Barry?"

Barry nodded. "Yeah. I mean, give others a chance, right?"

Holy crud, Lucas had to mark this date on his calendar: Barry finally gives!

"Lemme guess, the old man hit your heart or something?"

Barry's blushing. "F-forget that. What's the plan, Lucas?"

Lucas laughed. "Oh you… Anyway, thanks, Barry. I have an idea. It's a lucky thing we have that with us." Lucas pointed to his left.

What Lucas showed Barry was a bush of oran berries. From those textbooks Lucas read, they're also known as the 'all-around berry' 'cause those've been used for a lot of stuff, like hunting and medicines. That's where he got his idea: luring them away.

Barry hummed, like he's already got Lucas' idea.

"So, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Lucas asked.

Then, Barry smiled, and Lucas also did after him.

Barry quietly laughed. "Seems like even you take after my smarts."

"You're not…" Lucas sighed. "Anyway, you wanna know why we're gonna lure them away."

"Why?"

"'Cause you mess things up. A lot."

"No, I don't!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"Then, how about a moment ago?"

"Okay, maybe only that, but so what?"

"And that baby starly thing?"

"Fine, you win." Barry hmphed at him, and Lucas put his tongue out at him.

"Anyway, other than you messing things up, this can make us focus on one pokémon each. Remember the 'divide-and-conquer' strategies in those computer games we used to play?" Lucas put up two fingers then made a letter 'V' with them, and Barry nodded. "Since there's two of us and two of them, it's one for you and one for me. Also, I don't wanna get ganged up by wild pokémon _again_. I'm getting sick of it!"

"Gotcha. Cool plan, Lucas." Lucas cheekily smiled. "Dibs on that bird pokémon!" Barry pointed to bird pokémon that's licking the honey on its wings.

"Hey! I was gonna—"

"I called first dibs, Lucas!".

"Dang you, Barry," Lucas grumbled. "A muchlax's alright, I guess."

 _It's really impossible to win over this guy's pride…_

Lucas got some oran berries for him and Barry. Looking at the pair of pokémon that were still enjoying their afternoon snack, they got ready to throw their own bait.

"Ready, Barry?"

"You bet I am!"

They tossed their berries altogether, but they made it so that the pokémon could go away from each other. Lucas' berry landed near the munchlax's back, and Barry's hit the flag of the chatot's note-head.

Wait, that's not the plan! "Bullseye!" Barry quietly cheered.

Oh crud, this was bad! "What the heck are you doing, Barry?!"

"What I'm supposed to be doing: luring the pokémon!"

"I meant to bait and lure both _away_ from each other, not make it mad!" Yeah, the chatot was _pretty_ steaming mad. "I thought you got my plan, you airhead!"

"I did — alright, fine! If it makes you happy, I'll lure _my_ chatot _away_ then!"

Barry quickly got out of his spot and started making fun of the bird pokémon. Dang that crazy airhead!

"Barry, get back here!"

Barry ignored him and stomped his foot at him. Oh boy, he's really serious.

"Bird-brain!" Barry yelled. "Wanna fight me, huh?!"

 _Dangit, w_ _hat the heck happened to stealth mode?!_ Lucas looked up. _If he's gonna do it, then he's gotta do it…_

The angry chatot quickly looked at Barry, and its white neck's starting to look weird! Slowly, the chatot cawed and opened its wings.

Barry teased the pokémon more with his hands and words. "Yeah, that's it! Come at me, you pea-sized, bird-brained 'mon!"

 _Barry, you'd better know what you're doing!_ Lucas thought while sweating buckets.

Suddenly, the chatot, in almost the same voice as Barry's, said, "Bird-brain! Bird-brain!" The chatot flapped its wings like a mad… 'mon!

"Yeah, you're the one!" Barry got a pebble and threw it to the head of the bird pokémon. The chatot flicked it off with its wing and started flying towards Barry.

"Bird-brain! Bird-brain!" the chatot repeatedly said.

"I'll give you a fight…" Barry turned around and dashed to the thicker part of the forest, "there!"

And then, the crazy chase started. Later on, both of them disappeared into the deeper parts of the lake. If it's any weirder, the chatot flew past Lucas who hid behind the bush, and it didn't notice him _at all_.

"Bird-brain…!" a faraway echo said from where they flew off to.

Dang, Barry sure loved to look for trouble! And if Barry could do something with his '100% power' — that's how he calls it, it's running away. It looked like Lucas wasn't the scaredy-cat!

Lucas slapped himself in the forehead. Sure, Barry's a hard worker and all, but he's always loved the spotlight: he'll go solo if he wanted to! 'Cause of that, everyone'd quickly know it's him.

 _Oh, and thanks for ditching me!_ Lucas grumbled.

On the bright side, Barry's outta the picture. Lucas had the peace and quiet so he could focus better. Well, Barry's kinda smart and kind, so Lucas was kinda grateful for that.

Now, he had to focus.

The munchlax put the oran berry under its fur and then continued getting the honey off the tree without a care in the world. That's the signal: he had to get closer, but he wanted to study the pokémon a bit more.

 _Those pointy-looking ears seem kinda cute… And those sharp fingers and toenails could mean big trouble if it scratches me with his feet or hands. Oh?_

Lucas noticed some shadowy lines under its fur when the pokémon sat down. Taking a not-so closer look, he could make out blue, pink, and yellow things.

 _Maybe it's got some holder under the fur or something? If that's it, then maybe that munchlax's stored a lot… Kinda makes me wanna ask how it's able to hold those stuff, too._

So that's why it just took the oran berry and didn't eat it. It's gonna put it in something like a food box. Lucas wanted to see it again, so he got one more berry and tossed it near the munchlax's foot.

The pokémon noticed another oran berry and looked at it. "Munch?" the munchlax said before licking the honey off its right paw.

So that's how it is: the pokémon picked it up, put it under its fur, and went back to eating. Lucas now had his answer.

 _Alright, so there's this weird food box in him, and it doesn't wanna eat anything besides that honey._ Lucas looked at the oran berries he got from the plant. _I could throw these away, but nah. Don't let it waste, Lucas._

Lucas dug up a small hole and put his handful of oran berries in there. He quickly covered it up with dirt and went back to watching the munchlax, only to find out that the pokémon sat and faced the tree.

 _That's it! Slowly get near that munchlax, and sneak around!_

Careful not to make a sound like that weird bad guy in a TV show, Lucas tiptoed to his jackpot.

So far so good. The cub pokémon still didn't notice he's there. When he got closer, Lucas slowly got his poké ball and made it big with a click.

 _Oh yeah, you're mine now!_

But then, something bad happened, he tripped on something. Dangit all!

Then, there's a loud thud when he fell flat on the ground and dropped his poké ball.

"Argh!" Lucas yelled. "Crud-crud-crud! Stupid tree-root-thing!" He punched the grass.

 _Oh shoot, the munchlax! I blew it!_

The munchlax jumped and quickly turned around to Lucas. Oh boy, just when everything got good!

Wait, something's weird. It's just staring at Lucas while sucking the honey on its paw.

Lucas slowly got up so that he didn't scare it away, but it didn't even run away. Lucas and the munchlax just continued staring. Dang, it's so dead silent that Lucas could hear the leaves rustling.

"This is awkward…" Lucas quietly said.

The munchlax… ignored him? It's just finishing off the honey from its paw, and going back to the tree. When Lucas looked at the painted tree, he got shocked. Almost all of the honey's gone! Heck, and that cost them the whole honey jar!

 _Oh crud, t_ _his pokémon's got one heck of an appetite. Mom's gonna have to cook a lotta food for this guy…_

"Um, munchlax? Hello?" he called out to the cub pokémon. The munchlax looked at him and licked its hand off of honey. It groaned at him, too.

Lucas used his hands while he talked. "Do you understand me?"

The munchlax nodded and scratched its back with its free hand.

"Cool. Where'd you learn English?"

 _Wait, what kinda question's that?_

And then… it's back to eating. Huh, Lucas realised; maybe he could act chummy with the pokémon to get its trust.

 _Well, it_ did _understand me. We'll be partners in no time._

"Hey, uh, aren't you scared of me?" That made the munchlax stop eating for a moment. It looked like it's thinking.

 _Well, whaddaya know. Looks like I'm Mes, and this munchlax's me._ Lucas laughed at how it's kinda the same.

Back to the munchlax, it shook its head.

"Oh, I see," Lucas replied. _Good thing he's not. Now, all I have to do's—_

Just then, his stomach loudly rumbled for both to hear.

 _Oh crud! I forgot that I ate my lunch early — oh wait, the munchlax's here too! Aw man, I knew I should've those oran berries. Got too caught up with this guy…_

"Huh?" He felt something tapping his left foot.

"Munch. Munch," the pokémon said. It got two yellow berries under its fur and showed him it. Ah ha, sitrus berries!

"W-woah!" A pokémon giving him food? It's normally the other way around, and this was his first! "Really, munchlax? For me?"

The pokémon nodded and then left it in Lucas' hands. Huh, thinking about it, oran berries were the normal berries around here. Sitrus berries weren't normally grown here.

 _So, this pokémon might be from somewhere else… Ah, who cares? I'm hungry!_

"Thanks, munchlax!" Lucas said before taking a bite of the berry. Meanwhile, the munchlax continued getting honey. Dang, he sure was hungry!

"Mmm~! It's been a while since I last ate this!" Lucas commented as he enjoyed his sweet snack. _I'd say, this taste's two or three times better than orans. I kinda see now why pokémon usually choose this over oran and lum berries._

Lucas was kinda filled. Looking at the cub pokémon, he noticed that it's also enjoying the sweet honey

"Enjoying it?" he asked the munchlax. It looked at him and nodded. "Fresh combee honey's really tasty. Kinda pricey, though."

 _Wait, what am I doing!_ Lucas shook his head. He nearly forgot what he's gonna do. Dangit, focus! _Where's that poké ball…_ _But I think I should tell this guy what I'm gonna do. I mean, it's kind enough to give me some berries—_

Feeling the poké ball, he took it out. _Ah ha! Here you are._

Lucas picked his ball up and then hid it from the munchlax. The pokémon groaned, like it's confused at what Lucas was gonna do.

"Uh, I'm just gonna cut the chase to you," Lucas cleared his throat like a gentleman, "and I mean I'm gonna be honest with you, alright?" Dang, the pokémon looked even more confused. "L-look, it's just — um. Ah, forget it!" Lucas bent down to the munchlax. "Do you wanna be my partner, please?!"

 _Crud! What the heck was that?! Barry's rubbing me off again, dangit!_

Oh crud, the munchlax's becoming scared! "N-no wait! I mean, is it okay if you could become my poké-partner, please?" Lucas asked, more calmly. "When I become a real trainer at 18 years old, we'll get to see the world out there!"

The munchlax's still a bit scared. Lucas was now worried that it wouldn't listen to him. Dang, he could even see it shaking.

 _Tsk! What to do, what to do? It's not gonna accept the berries back there. Shoot, I don't have anything else to—_ Wait, he still got the candy from the old man! But… _Oh boy, really? Do I have to give it away? I just received it a couple of minutes ago, and it looks tasty! But then, oh boy, there's this fella…_

What to do, what to do: save it for him or for the munchlax? Lucas wanted to give it the cub pokémon, but that way, he's not gonna taste a Kanto-style candy. Dangit, but he really wanted a poké-partner! Oh boy, what a tough choice to make…

 _This sucks. You're right about those tough opportunity choices, Mom._

Well, real men make tough choices, urgh… "H-hey, munchlax. I'm sorry I scared you a bit, I really am." Lucas tried coming closer, but the munchlax backed off a bit. Oh boy, he could hear it whimpering like it's cornered.

 _Dang, looks like this pokémon doesn't wanna fight._

"I'll make it up to you, alright?" Lucas said and knelt down. He swapped his poké ball with the candy and showed it to him. "Here! It's a little something to cool you down a bit, and my 'sorry' for scaring you."

Lucas held up the sweet in front of the munchlax. The munchlax quietly looked at the candy, and thank goodness, it's slowly becoming calm.

"Don't be shy," he said in the most caring tone he could use and smiled. "Just take it."

The munchlax went to grab his candy. Even with its pointed fingers, it's not able to rip it open, which made Lucas chuckle a bit.

"Oh shoot, I forgot. You can't open this wrapper, huh?" The munchlax growled at him and made Lucas shake a bit. "Alright, alright. I'll help you out. Give it here for a sec." The munchlax gave him the candy. "It's quite easy. You just do this…" He held the wrapper at one of the jagged sides and started pulling it apart. It's… hard!

 _How the heck can that old man get the candy out with this? Dang, old people are… weird!_

Lucas slowly pulled harder, but it's still not opening up. The munchlax just looked at him with a what-the-heck-is-he-doing face.

"Dang, this is tough. Guess I have to use another way." Lucas bit the end of the wrapper and pinched the same side with both hands. And then, he pulled the wrapper like there's no tomorrow. Finally, the wrapper ripped open!

"Ah ha — ow!" The candy flew right to his eye and bounced off. Maybe that's _too_ strong…

But dang, the munchlax leapt to it with its mouth wide open, and ir immediately swallowed it whole! What an appetite, this guy…

Lucas groaned out of pain when rubbing his eye with a clean arm. "I should've been more careful. Who even makes those kinds of—"

Quickly, the munchlax came up to him with two oran berries. The munchlax handed them over to Lucas its oran berries with a delighted face, perhaps as a gesture of gratitude.

"O-oh, was it good?"

"Munch~" the munchlax happily replied.

"Heh! You're welcome, li'l guy! C'mere you." Lucas patted the munchlax's head. With his free hand, he got the oran berries from the pokémon. "Thanks for the extra treat! Nice trade at that, too."

The munchlax put up a happy face and happily cried its name when he rubbed his head. On the other hand, Lucas munched on the oran berry he had. While eating, he asked, "So, did it taste really good? The candy, I'm talking about."

The munchlax nodded.

"That's good to know. Oh," Lucas snapped his fingers, "how about that honey there?" It nodded again. Lucas chuckled. "You're a pretty cool pokémon if you ask me. I'm glad to've met you!"

It nodded and repeated its name once before yawning.

"I guess you're already full from that honey and sweet candy, right?"

 _That old man really wasn't joking about that candy. Sure wish_ I _tasted it, but eh. The munchlax looked like it enjoyed it._ Lucas shrugged.

As for the munchlax, it nodded, but then stared at Lucas afterwards.

 _I hope it's already gonna ask me about being my partner and friend. That'll really help me out a lot._

"Do you wanna say something? It's alright," he smiled in affirmation, "I'll hear you out."

"Muh, muh," it said when it pointed to Lucas' pocket. He knew what it's gonna ask, and he's very lucky!

"Oh, my pocket? There's no food there, but do you want me to get the poké ball? It's the only thing in my pocket — two, actually."

 _Yes, yes! It's finally here!_

"Munch!" It quickly got near Lucas' pocket.

"Woah! What're you doing?" It took the small poké ball out and then looked at it very closely. Lucas paused for a moment. He had to ask it something first. "Hey, so you're really serious about it, li'l guy? I sure hope I'm not being pushy or anything."

"Munch!" the pokémon happily replied and gave Lucas his poké ball back. In his head, Lucas pumped his fist out of victory.

But man, he couldn't keep it in! Lucas quickly jumped for joy and raised both hands, looking up to the sky. With that, he yelled, "YES!" The munchlax jumped when he did. "That's it. We're poké-partners from here on out, munchlax!"

"Munch! Lax…" Huh, it's yawning.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you're sleepy from eating a lot," Lucas then clicked his poké ball at the munchlax. "Why don't you rest after we make this, uh…" he scratched his head trying to dig out the right word, "'official'! I guess that's the one. Whaddaya say, li'l guy? Lemme catch you first."

The munchlax first looked at the ball with sleepy, concerned eyes then up to Lucas, but he also saw that the munchlax's a bit worried.

"Don't worry. I don't think it's gonna be bad. My friends' pokémon like being sent back to their own balls." He stopped for a sec. "That felt weird when I said it," he quietly said.

"Muh?"

"I'm not sure what that meant, but you can count on me!" Lucas flashed a thumbs up and smiled to make the munchlax feel at home. After a few moments, the munchlax giggled its name, nice! "Thanks, munchlax! Now let's wrap this thing up"

It happily replied with its name and yawn.

"You ready for this?"

"Lax!"

Lucas got near the pokémon, and he pressed the poké ball's centre button at its head. The ball opened when he heard a click.

Suddenly, the munchlax became a glowing, red light before being sucked into the poké ball. The ball then closed by itself on Lucas' hand. Huh, it didn't wiggle. Instead, it blinked thrice before clicking. Dang, poké ball tech always weirded him out in a good way.

Now, Lucas caught a brand new pokémon — his _first_ pokémon ever. Oh man, so this was how that Greek dude felt when he found out about density, or that one scientist when he found out about antibiotic meds. Dang, it's so rewarding! Maybe this was a sign that he's gonna get that 'Top 1' award at the end of his 6th grade!

"You're mine now," Lucas geekily smiled and looked at the munchlax's poké ball, "and I won't let you down as my friend and partner, Munch!"

 _Yeah,_ 'Munch' _is a nice pet name. Not original, but it's cool!_

"Just you sleep tight till our dinner time, alright? You sure ate a lot a moment ago. Wait till Mom and Barry get to see you later." Lucas looked up to the sky. "Dad would be really proud of me, too…" And then, to the lake. "How about you, Mes?"

This was way better than buying pokémon in those pet shops. It didn't feel right, and heck, who'd buy an eevee for 2 000 dollars? Maybe Mom's right about saving money and all that. Well, it's a good thing Lucas and Barry got poké balls as birthday gifts.

Speaking of Barry…

"Where's that airhead anyway?" Lucas shrunk and put Munch's poké ball in his pocket. He looked around to see if Barry's near him. "He's been gone for minutes…"

Oh boy, Lucas had butterfrees dancing in his stomach thinking about the crazy stuff Barry'd cook up at the moment. It's normal for Barry, but he's too reckless sometimes. Dang, and he's supposed to be the smartest airhead in class. Hmph, but not as smart as Lucas!

"Dangit, I just hope he's got some magical butt-pull that could—"

Suddenly, he heard something loud, like bushes getting wrecked mixed with bird noises.

"Barry!" Lucas quickly ran to that area with those weird noises. "Just what the heck's your genius plan now?!"

Oh boy, it sounded like Lucas got near to where it's from, but it stopped when it got very loud. He saw a bush that'd been shaking before calming down. Lucas forced his weak stomach to check the thick bush out, and what a surprise: it's Barry!

But something's wrong, he's lying flat on the ground!

Lucas was heck-a shocked. "H-hey, Barry!"


	6. 1-6: Menacing

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 _ **Last edited on: 9th of May 2020**_

* * *

"H-hey, Barry!"

Oh yeah, Barry's a fricking mess! He's got scratches all over, messed-up hair, dirty clothes, and face-down on the ground. Fricking Barry! Lucas looked away from Barry and shut his eyes for a moment.

 _At least, he's not_ that _jacked up like last time…_ Lucas was thinking about that one time Barry and Lucas nearly got sent to the hospital when they got chased by some bird pokémon. Dang, no way in heck was Lucas gonna do it again!

Lucas carefully rolled Barry around to check if he's not too jacked up in front.

"Don't even think of jump-scaring me, Barry!" Lucas quietly said while having a hard time rolling Barry over. "Always doing crazy stuff for this and that. I know you wanna be a policeman, but… you're just — shoot!" Lucas yelled and quickly got behind him. What the heck, Barry's hugging that crazy chatot!

Lucas' yell made Barry's eyes quickly open up, and Barry got up like a soldier in those TV cartoons.

"Barry, I'm behind you!"

"Shut up, I knew that!" Barry turned around to Lucas, and Barry still got his impatient face up.

"What the heck's going on? And tell me why's that chatot knocked out!"

"Nah. Nothing bad happened, honest!"

"So, you're telling me to chill when you're jacked up and hugging a KO'd chatot?" Dangit, why's he always downplaying stuff like this?!

"I'm serious. Everything's fine, and I'm fine!" Barry got one hand up and waved it down. "Fine, if you want me to make you believe me, then here!"

Barry slowly put the sleeping bird pokémon down to his side. He quickly stood up in front of Lucas. Looking at his best friend dead-straight in the eye, he clapped his hands in front of him, making Lucas jump.

"W-what the heck's that for, Barry?"

Barry made a finger-gun and smiled. "Watch me dance!"

Barry clapped once more and then began pulling something while shaking around. He clapped again, but he's now tapping his feet around. He clapped again, and then he mixed the pulling and the tapping together, with something like a hand-brushing dance step.

"Don't believe me yet, huh, Lucas? Well?!" After a small jump, he crossed his arms and made that finger-gun again.

 _That… was the creepiest dancing I've ever seen in my entire life._ Lucas bit his lip. Crud, there were better dances he saw in school, and this one made him wanna puke!

"So? So?" Barry demanded.

"Alright, alright! I believe you, Barry."

 _Here it is: the perpetual butt-pull that protects him from all harm! Or whatever they say._

"You see? I'm just fine." Barry thumbs-upped and smiled. "Looks like your ears need some cleaning."

Lucas rolled his eyes at what Barry just said. "Well, you're fine, and that's great. Kinda."

"Yeah, that's it!" Barry heartily laughed after.

 _Thank God he's alright, 'cause I don't wanna imagine a Barry-gets-eaten-alive movie sequel to last time!_

"That reminds me, Barry." Lucas pointed at the chatot. "Did you already give him or her a nickname?"

Barry got down to slowly pick his chatot up. "I'm guessing it's a 'he', and yeah, I did. Didn't you hear it a moment ago?"

Lucas tried to remember what Barry said, but it's no use. "Sorry, Barry, I didn't."

Barry slapped his forehead. "Dang, your ears _need_ cleaning, Lucas. Can't believe you didn't catch my words, and they call you a future valeh-dick-what-now!" Barry put his tongue out and laughed.

Lucas groaned. "It's 'valedictorian', and I'll get them cleaned soon if you want, _boss_ …"

"Anyways, I call him 'Chat' 'cause this critter likes to talk a lot, like you! Pretty neat, huh?"

 _If you think I talk a lot, then just what are you?_

Lucas sighed. "I thought you nicknamed it after 'chatot'."

"Yeah, that too. I'm not really original in naming, but who cares?" Barry pumped his fist to Lucas. "We've got pokémon of our own!"

Oh yeah, they finally got what they wanted! "Heck yeah! We can battle our classmates and friends back home!" Lucas added and fist-bumped Barry.

"Oh, don't you dare forget our **bet** , Lucas!" Barry pointed at Lucas. "I'll be kicking your ass in a pokémon battle one day!"

Lucas laughed. There's no way Barry could best Lucas in a pokémon battle. With everything he'd study up for, there's no fricking way! "I got high grades in Battling, so it's _you_ who's got zero chances of beating me, Barry!"

"Screw school and their damn grades! I wanna see you eat your heart out when I beat you, Lucas!" Suddenly, Barry scratched his head. "Uh, maybe not now. In the future, yeah!"

Huh, now this was something; Barry's hung back for a sec. Well, maybe it's a sign that Lucas and Barry shouldn't be dawdling around any longer.

But then, he's not gonna lose to Barry in a pokémon battle. No way that's gonna happen in a million years!

"Oh yeah, Barry," Lucas called him out, "I think it's best if you return Chat to your poké ball. Poor guy's done in for the day." Looking at Barry's chatot, it didn't look like it's gonna wake up anytime soon. Yep, it's KO'd by Barry real good.

"Shoot!" Barry quickly checked his pockets. "I forgot I didn't capture Chat yet! Thanks for reminding me, Lucas!"

Lucas sighed. Oh boy, Lucas guessed he got too caught up fighting that he forgot.

 _Well, it's understandable. He_ did _pick a fight with his chatot._

One thing that bugged Lucas was why Barry was hugging his chatot. Maybe his chatot and Barry brokered some sorta peace treaty after fighting? Then after that, maybe they both got knocked out 'cause they got pooped to the bone. Huh, with Barry's spunky spirit, that could've happened.

A moment passed after Barry went through his pockets without any mercy at all, but he's careful not to disturb the chatot he's carrying. Barry finally got a small poké ball from his pocket, but he looked kinda disappointed.

"This sucks, though," Barry commented and pouted.

"Why?"

"I just lost my other poké ball, dangit!" Barry snapped his fingers. "I think it's somewhere out there in the woods. Just a sec, Lucas, I'll go get it."

"Nope! You're not going there yet." When Barry tried to run, Lucas quickly held his arm tightly.

"Yeowch!"

"Woah!" Lucas let go. Dang, was that really too tight?

Barry grumbled. "What the heck, man!"

"Barry, I thought you said everything's fine!"

"Okay, I lied. I'm 99% fine, happy?"

"Yeah, okay. I'm sorry for hurting you, _boss_ …" Lucas apologised.

In an attempt to alleviate the pain, Barry blew his arm.

"And why are you stopping me? I'm just gonna get my other poké ball!"

"Don't be stupid, Barry! Don't just go away without capturing it. It might run off."

"Hey, I—" Barry stopped and took a quick look at the chatot in his arms. He continued, "think you're right."

Lucas cheered in his head. _Heck yeah! I just proved him wrong, eat that!_

"Fine, you win! I was gonna do it before you said so anyways." Barry furrowed his brows at Lucas.

 _Liar!_

Barry got his poké ball and clicked it, making it grow big. He put the button in front of the chatot's head. "I think it goes something like… this!"

He slowly pressed the button to the dark head of his pokémon. The poké ball flew open, and Chat became something like what Munch became before being sucked into Barry's poké ball. Like Lucas' experience, the poké ball didn't wiggle or twitch. It just clicked.

"Phew!" Barry and Lucas gasped after crossing their fingers.

"Heck YEAH!" Barry screamed in pure delight and raised his poké ball. Laughing, he voiced out, "I caught a chatot! I'm the best!"

Lucas chuckled at his friend and clapped his hands. "Congrats, Barry!"

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Barry shrunk his poké ball and hid it in his pocket, "I have to find my lost poké ball. Money doesn't grow on trees, so you better not lose stuff like me, Lucas. Later, Lucas!"

Barry impatiently ran towards the area he previously escaped to.

"Hey, don't fight any wild pokémon, you hear me?" Lucas warned and waved him off.

"Hah! You think I would…?" With that, he was gone.

"I _definitely_ think you would, Boss Barry," Lucas joked, but nobody seemed to've heard him. "And now, it's just me again…"

* * *

While lying down, Lucas quietly watched the clear waters of Lake Verity and spotted a small school of magikarp swimming about. They swam like they had no head, which made Lucas quietly laugh. The magikarps swimming created some ripples to slush by the banks, making a soft sound that's a kinda nice sound pair to the rustling of the trees.

Dang, this afternoon summer sun's kinda hot too, but a breeze blew past him. Well, maybe that helped.

Man, this was the life. Without the loud, incessant bleating from his friend, he could enjoy almost anything he wanted to. All he did was just close his eyes and probably take a short nap.

It's only a week till Lucas would go back to school, so he had to make the remaining days of his vacation worth it: he should kick back, relax, and enjoy the quiet life.

Then again, a lot of attack waves from wild pokémon and meeting the very Lake Guardian were _really_ unexpected. Dang, meeting Mes was really great! He really wanted to brag about it in school. Oh boy, he'd be popular in school for making friends with a legendary pokémon! Yeah, that's gonna be epic.

But then, he remembered his pinky-promise. Mes was gonna be _heck-a_ mad at Lucas, he didn't wanna see her angry and creepy side! Oh boy, maybe this was what those secret spies felt when they'd find out cool secrets with even more secret rules. Maybe one day they'll all know about Lucas and Mes. Just maybe…

Well, at least he's able to catch a wild pokémon and make friends with his new poké-partner. Maybe he could use the other poké-ball on Mes, too! Nah, that'd probably be bad. He didn't know why, but something's telling him deep down that capturing Mes wasn't the best idea right now. Maybe that's Mes doing that wacky psychic stuff.

"Hm, I don't wanna nap. What to do, what to do…"

Oh yeah, he could hang out with Mes! That Barry's probably gonna take a lifetime to find his lost poké ball. Lucas did pinky-promise to Mes, but Lucas felt that maybe Mes might've been mad from that previous scuffle with Barry. Dangit, if Barry only thought about that in the first place.

Well, it looked like Lucas was gonna be covering for Barry's sorry butt, again.

 _But why… am I getting this nagging feeling not to go Mes…_ Lucas shook his head. _Nah, it's just me; she'd take a joke, so she'll be okay with us!_

Lucas arrived in the flowerbed area. Even though he's been there just a few moments ago, it's like he's returned after quite a while. The breeze around him blew quite stronger.

A voice cried out from somewhere. Huh, Mes might be playing invisible. Suddenly, he felt her psychic thingamajig fill his head. "Oh, Mes! What's up?"

 _"'What's up'?"_

"Yeah, 'what's up'! It's kinda like a 'how are—'"

 _"You dare greet me, the Lake Guardian Mesprit, with a 'what's up'?"_ Woah-woah-woah, what the heck? Her voice sounded different. Heck, the wind's kinda becoming stronger. _"Have you no respect towards me, human? Do you take me lightly?"_

"H-huh?"

 _"You forget your place. You should have known better when you set foot into this spot. Look around you, now."_ S-scary! Just what happened to his cheerful and happy friend?

He looked around his surroundings out of fright and saw weird pinkish waves, even right above him! It's like it's boxing him around, and that didn't look good!

 _This looks like Trick Room, but…_

"M-Mes? H-hey, quit messing around. Why are you—"

 _"You even have the nerve to address me casually. Such impudence!"_ Lucas swore that the ground was shaking a bit, o-or maybe it's just him. _"Also, use your mind to speak when we are communicating."_

"B-but I—"

 _"Your thoughts._ _ **Now**_ _."_

 _Yes, Mes — Miss Mesprit!_

 _"How could you? How dare you mock my status? Insolent human…"_

Lucas couldn't believe it. Why was she doing this? What'd he ever do to her? Well, all he did was prank her, but it was an accident. Plus, it's her fault for snatching the spicy chocolate away from him. Thinking about it _really_ hard, he got his answer: Barry's stupid act. Oh boy, oh boy!

Miss Mesprit wasn't joking at all. She was _dead_ serious, and he was gonna get it.

 _"It appears that you finally got it."_

 _Shoot, I forgot she can read my mind too!_

 _"Indeed, I can. There is_ no _escape when you are around me, human,"_ she clarified. _"Try and hide your thoughts, but I will expose your ill-will. Run away, and I will hunt you down to the ends of the world."_

 _I-I'm not bad! I'm—_

 _"Let me finish, human. Do not interrupt me."_

All Lucas could do was gulp in the face of doom.

 _"You, along with your disrespectful human friend, have been amassing disorder into my domain through the years till now. Disorder! Do you think that I would just turn a blind eye towards that?"_

 _Please lemme explain! It wasn't my fault. It was that stupid—_

 ** _"_ _Quiet_ _!"_ **The boy froze and quickly shut up. _"I need no explanation for this. Your foolish friend attempted to summon me through unmannerly methods. Shouting_ _my_ _name? Holding a hostage in an attempt to draw me out of my dwelling? How foolish! The only way out of this is to feel the wrath of my_ judgement _!"_

 _No! Please! I swear, this is just a huge misunder—_

 ** _"_ _Enough_** _ **!"** _the voice boomed in his mind.

Lucas was trying to catch his breath real hard, and his feet felt frozen. He finally gave up to Miss Mesprit's anger. She was literally _dead_ serious about the punishment. He felt his sweat was running cold, and he's slowly losing his mind.

B-but, he's not gonna give up! He's gotta stay strong 'cause that's what real men do!

He tried to look around the boxed Trick Room and even beyond it for Mesprit, but he just couldn't find her. M-maybe she's really going invisible. Dangit, Barry! I hope you're gonna get it next time! He's gonna owe Lucas big time!

 _"Give it up. Yield your struggles to me. You will not find me. It is useless."_

It's… no use? He wanted to cry and bawl out his feelings.

Lucas shook his head. _No! I won't cry!_

He remembered that that's what weak people do: succumb to their defeat. Real men don't cry and run away! Even if he's a kid in front of a lotta people, he's not gonna be defeated! He'd already grown out of his pants! He had to be strong!

Miss Mesprit just hmphed. _"Earlier, you stated that you were not afraid of me, but from what I can tell, you feel otherwise."_

Lucas gulped. Maybe now he should just continue listening to her without any weird or crazy distractions. One thing's for sure that he's listening to her attentively, like listening to those principals in school.

 _Just remember, be strong!_

 _"Very good. You are giving your undivided attention to me — something your friend lacks, but I digress,"_ Miss Mesprit commented. _"Now, as part of my judgement, I require you to answer me truthfully, human. If I catch you lying or adding unnecessary comments to your words, I shall see a punishment that fits you well. Am I clear, human?"_

 _Yes, Miss Mesprit,_ Lucas replied with enough bravery in his heart. _I could do this!_ He clapped his hands once and puffed out air.

Lucas remembered. Even though he's in a heck-a bad situation, or when he's being 'backed into a corner' or something, a strong person shouldn't wuss out just 'cause they're unlucky. They should know what to do! His parents and video games told him, so he knew they're right.

 _"Excellent. Now, onto my question:_

 _ **Are you still afraid of me?**_

 _I am giving you a minute and a half to think. If you are brave enough to answer before your time is up, then be my guest. I will not judge your thoughts and ideas during that time span,"_ she said.

Suddenly, Lucas felt like he could breathe normally and that he could move around well. Just when he did, he dropped on his knees and hands. He quickly sat up in a comfy position and dusted his hands. Maybe she's giving Lucas a boost!

 _Alright! At least I could think straight now… Wait, what am I relaxing for? I'm on a dang trial! Crud-crud-crud-crud…!_ Lucas shook his head and slapped his cheeks lightly. _Okay, chill, Lucas. Chill…_ He puffed out some air and kept on saying 'focus' so he could make his mind clear. This worked in exams, and it's gonna work in real life! _Now, I gotta think this over well._

If Lucas straight-up said 'yes', it looked like the wisest thing to do. Problem is, he'd be called a _coward_ by Miss Mesprit for completely taking back his words. On the other hand, if Lucas answered with a 'no', that'd mean Lucas would be caught red-handed: he'd be _lying_ in front of the legit Lake Guardian!

Dangit, this was a heck-a tough choice to make, but no. He had to keep it cool, like one of his cool teachers!

Looking at it, it's really only two choices: either he's gonna _lie_ and then get punished, or he's gonna answer _truthfully_ but then be called a coward and be stuck with the dang shame for taking his words back from a legendary pokémon!

W-wait, there's another one, too: _give up_.

 _No-no-no-no-no-no-no… Not calming at all! Argh!_ He grabbed his hair with both hands and knelt down.

W-was this the end? Was he gonna let up and call it a day by just saying 'I give up'?

 _N-no! Epic people don't give up, Lucas!_ He quickly threw away the choice of giving up. _So, think! If I choose either 'yes' or 'no', I'll lose by being a life-long coward or through Miss Mesprit's punishment? Is that really it? Isn't there_ another _way besides giving up?_

"Grah!" Lucas angrily groaned.

 _This sucks! This sucks! This stupid 'test' sucks!_

He punched the ground while saying bad stuff about the 'test' he's given by Miss Mesprit.

Wait, 'test'?

 _T-'test'? Test, test, test, test…_ Lucas repeatedly mumbled those words in his mind.

 _Test, test, test, test…_

 _Test…?_

 _Test!_

And that's when it pinged in him. Lucas quickly got up now that he's found another choice. "Ah, that's it!"

 _I think… this might just be the answer!_

Oh yeah, it made sense! Lucas now realised that the question could just be a test from Miss Mesprit. Maybe it's a legendary pokémon thing to give tests to different people they met, like in video games. He also thought that maybe this 'test' was to show that there could be another way to answer her question! It's a long shot, but what other choices did he have? He didn't wanna lie or get embarrassed real bad!

Also, time's his enemy now. If it's a 'yes' or a 'no' kinda question, Lucas didn't have enough time to make sure of it. He's gotta follow his guts!

Heck, maybe _Mes_ was just making a hardcore-level kinda game! _So, she thinks she can just joke around and push me around like that? Well, watch out, Mes!_

 _"Your time is up!"_ Mes' voice echoed inside Lucas' head, making him jump a little. _"Judging by your look, it appears that you have finally come up with your answer. How confident of you, and it's charming if I were to comment."_

Lucas could only keep a straight face around himself. This time around, he's determined.

 _"I am done waiting. Answer my question, human."_

Taking a nice and deep breath, he readied himself to answer. He looked to the centre of the lake through the distorted barrier, since that's where she might pop up, and he answered,

 **"This is just one, big, stupid baloney of a test."**

Up to that point, Lucas put up his determined face, but he felt that the 'boost' he'd been given quickly went away.

"Right?" Lucas shamefully replied and weakly chuckled.

And… it's quiet?

Wait, the wind's weird. It's slowly becoming stronger. Dangit, it's blowing so strongly that his poké balls flew outta his pockets! Lucas quickly got them and held them tight in his pocket, but the wind's not stopping!

Oh crud, he just found out: he's _screwed_.

Uh oh.

Uh oh!

 _CRUD-I'M-SCREWED-THAT-WASN'T-SUPPOSED-TO-HAPPEN-NO-NO-NO!_ Crud, it's like his sweat could fill up a humongous dam in a lotta countries!

The trees in the Trick Room were really swaying around like it's in a storm! Suddenly, Miss Mesprit's gone in his head, again.

 _"Is that your answer, human?"_ she asked, her voice wasn't changing at all. Dangit, just why?!

Lucas couldn't even answer like a normal guy. "I-I m-mean t-that I t-think—"

 **"Is. That. Your. Answer?"**

"Y-yes, i-it's my—"

 _"Thoughts, human."_

 _Y-yes…_

 _"Answer me_ _ **firmly**_ _!"_

 _ **YES**_ _! Is that what 'cha wanted?! That's my answer, jeez. Just go ahead and punish me already!_ he yelled in his mind, and he shut his eyes.

 _"No."_

Opening his eyes, he looked to the centre of the lake through the Trick Room with a confused look. _Wait, whaddaya mean—_

 _"When I saw your determined face, I decided to be more lenient. But, just what happened to your courage?"_

 _Uh oh._

 _"Yes, 'uh oh'. I was really expecting a solid answer from a determined human. But this is just asinine and disrespectful."_

 _Um, a-su-nine, Miss Mesprit?_

 _"Very, very stupid, like what you did."_

Lucas gulped loudly and wiped his sweat. _I'm… sorry, Miss Mesprit?_

 _"Do you think you could escape my wrath with just a simple 'sorry'? Do you really think it's that easy?"_ Her strict-like-a-teacher voice only made things more awkward and scarier for Lucas. Dangit, just what could he do but shut the heck up? _"My, my. How completely wrong you are, you know?"_

Lucas couldn't help it. His eyes were tearing up quicker than ever, but he used his little bravery to fight them back.

He knelt down on the ground. He had to look for her. He _fricking_ had to look for her! But no, it's useless. If she's invisible, then how the heck could he find her?!

 _Where…? Where is she?! WHERE?_

The voice seemed to ignore Lucas and continued talking. _"I did say that I would punish you, but I figured that this form of disrespect deserves something worse — worse than at least sending you back home, or giving a sermon for a few minutes, or even make you water all the berries around here. Oh, for the last part, I am giving you a detailed, marked map and a watering device for that."_

 _Aw shoot! I just_ had _to push my luck, DANGIT!_

 **"NO!"** Lucas suddenly shouted. "B-but, I r-refuse!" He fought back his stuttering and fears, but it's too strong!

 _"Saying no in the face of imminent defeat? Such pride and bravery. Commendable, really, but do you think that that would change anything significant?"_

Lucas was gonna break down from this fricking bad situation. "I-I… I'm… s-suh-sorr—y… Muh… M-Miss M-Meh-Mespr—it…"

 _"Unfortunately, for such a disrespectful act,"_ the wind suddenly stopped,

 _ **"I shall have to take your memories and emotions away."**_


	7. 1-7: Is This… the Real Mes?

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 _ **Last edited on: 10th of May 2020**_

* * *

 _ **"I shall have to take your memories and emotions away."**_

In a pink flash on the lake, Lucas could see Mesprit floating. All of her gems glowed — the forehead gem glowing the brightest. A complete poker face was overlaid all over the lake guardian. Slowly, she began hovering towards the trembling boy.

At first, a fear-driven Lucas thought this was all an insane dream, and thus pinched his arm so hard to the point of bleeding.

Pain shot through his nerves as he yelped and grasped his wound in pain, but he then felt that his wound closed up and stopped bleeding in another flash of pink light. Looking back at Mesprit, her hand glowed pink and pointed at him before the light dissipated. He saw her face unchanging and emotionless, like those of serial killers he had once watched in some movies.

 _"This is no dream, human,"_ Mesprit told Lucas as her cold stare locked unto his eyes. She continued floating steadily towards Lucas, speed unchanging. Telepathic voice unchanging too, Mesprit warned with a placid face, _"Savour every bit of the moment."_

This only spiked Lucas' senses to the point of adrenaline. He was finally going to snap at his intense emotions. With this, he shrieked an ear-piercing…

 **"UWARGH!"**

Lucas quickly bolted towards the opposite direction, only to be blocked by an invisible wall. He desperately banged the barrier that blocked his exit.

"ARGH! LEMME-OUT-LEMME-OUT-LEMME-OUT! HELP ME!" Lucas screamed as he repeatedly hammered the screen. Pink ripples appeared with every bang.

 _"My psychic powers enhance the durability of my Trick Room."_ Lucas turned to face the lake guardian approaching him and leaned unto the wall. _"No sound escapes these walls, and the barriers are close to indestructible. And while you have the upper hand in your speed, your fate is still intact; you cannot escape from me, human."_

Shivering, Lucas cowered by the rippling barrier, but he still held on to his faith. Mesprit was indeed approaching at a rather slow pace, unsure to him if it was on purpose or just the effects of her Trick Room. She seemed a little far away from Lucas.

Soon, he felt as if he was drawn closer to Mesprit, like something was pushing him from behind. Now, Mesprit seemed to close in at a faster rate. This flustered Lucas, and he looked at all possible corners of the barrier.

To Lucas, the barrier was boxing in. forcing him to move forward despite leaning unto the barrier to keep his place. This became more unsettling for the boy, and tears welled up in his eyes as the thought of inevitable demise dawned in him. However, he chose not to give up just yet.

 _"You were a fool to think cowering farther away from me by the ends of this barrier could save you!"_ Mesprit declared.

"No! I'll get outta this stinking place!"

Lucas' eyes locked onto the water's edge. An idea pinged in him: if he could get out by diving underwater then swimming out, it'd be the ticket out of the cage. Though, he had no time to ascertain any chances of success for such escape, and he quickly dashed to the lakeside. He maintained a safe distance from Mesprit while running. Fortunately, the other side of the barrier hadn't closed in to the point where he couldn't escape by diving into the waters, but the barrier was still perpetually closing in to his dismay.

 _That's it!_

Shutting his eyes, Lucas hastily jumped to the lake's waters, only to be met with a hard surface and a warped, thumping noise. He heard two more objects landing on the supposed surface.

Opening his eyes, he was only a few millimetres away from meeting headlong with Lake Verity. It's as if he was floating on the lake like a levitating magnemite.

"What the heck?!"

Mesprit scoffed. _"You thought I could not foresee such an event? My Future Sight sees the nearest outcome. Your escape is futile!"_

The pink pokémon continued drawing closer while Lucas rubbed his aching arms from the impact. Later, he felt that the barrier wall was pushing him closer to Mesprit yet again.

"I've been a good boy! It's all Barry's idea, so why's it me? Why's it _always_ me?!"

 _"Foolish human."_ Mesprit raised her left arm, and her left hand began to glow a bright pink. _"Are you giving up?"_

Lucas shot up and pointed at Mesprit. "Never!" he shouted with a fearful face.

Mesprit hmphed. _"Your face contradicts your choice, but so be it!"_ She drew closer, but maintained the same speed.

Lucas had one more ace up his sleeve: a pokémon battle. The thought of his first opponent being a _legendary pokémon_ frightened him. Whether he won or lost against Mesprit, all that was in his mind was to _survive_.

Hastily, Lucas went through his pockets for Munch's poké ball. To his dismay, he felt nothing but air in his pockets. He turned to the barrier he stood on and grabbed the nearby shrunken poké balls. He moved onto the solid ground to prepare himself.

Clicking both balls, he noticed one of the enlarged balls containing a green light around at the black equator. He dismissed the said ball, without a second thought, to be Munch's poké ball, while shrinking the other poké ball and returning it to his pocket

 _"A pokémon battle, hm? Worthless, but fine."_ Mesprit's other arm raised, as well as the other hand glowing a bright pink. _"Come, human!"_

 _Munch, I'm so sorry!_

Wiping his face off of any sweat and teardrops, Lucas pointed his poké ball towards Mesprit. "Go, Munch!"

A streak of red light shot out from the poké ball, and Munch materialised quickly as the red light formed Munch's bodily shape. As Munch opened his drowsy eyes, his face suddenly contorted in fear upon facing Mesprit's battle form. Munch instinctively hid behind Lucas' legs.

"M-Munch! I get you're afraid, b-but now's the time for us to man up. Please!"

Whimpering, the munchlax faced Lucas with a frightened expression. To ease the pokémon's fears, Lucas knelt over and hugged him tight while tearing up.

"P-please, Munch… W-we can defeat M-Mesprit if we try! I know we can, so please, give it your best shot!"

"M-Munch?" the munchlax whimpered.

Despite being driven by fear, Lucas managed to flash a smile. "Y-yeah! And once we're done, you'll get to eat all the honey Barry and I have! Now, let's do this!"

Seemingly, Munch became motivated to fight and clenched both paws.

The pair huffed out air and faced Mesprit, readying her hands for combat. Munch then stood in front of Lucas and furrowed its eyelids. Lucas gritted his teeth in nervous anticipation. The barrier also paused closing in.

 _"Are you finished with your bonding moment, human? You shall taste a bitter defeat for showing me resistance."_

"As if! I w-won't back down!"

 _"So be it."_ The ground under Mesprit began to form a swirling wind. _"Come! I shall give you the honour of making your first move."_

"A-alright! Munch, you ready?"

Munch nodded with gusto. Lucas shut his eyes and puffed out air. Recalling those battle videos he'd seen, he shouted, "Munch, use Metronome!"

Munch waggled both fingers, and it glowed a light blue.

 _"Tsk, a wise choice to—"_

But Mesprit's telepathy was cut short as Munch suddenly collided with her at a great force. Munch landed flat on the ground.

"Kyuaa!" Mesprit's body was blown to the far end of the still barrier and crashed, causing some dust to shroud the area.

"Bullseye, an Extreme Speed! Great job, Munch, and keep going!"

The munchlax could only give a muffled reply as it struggled to rise. Once the dust cleared up, Mesprit was nowhere to be found. Lucas and Munch gasped in shock.

 _N-no way! She's blown all the way there! Where's she—_

 _"Do not try my patience, human!"_

Mesprit suddenly reappeared to Munch's right, and a sphere of purple light shone on her forehead as she slowly leaned her head backwards.

"D-Defense Curl, hurry!"

Fortunately, Munch managed to curl up and roll into a ball as Mesprit bashed her glowing forehead to Munch. The munchlax was sent rolling to the left side of the barrier and landed on its back as it collided with the barrier. Lucas could hear his pokémon groaning in pain; it was expected that a great deal of damage would be lashed out from a legendary pokémon, thus worrying Lucas.

"M-Munch! H-hang in there!"

 _"Resistance is futile!"_ Mesprit quickly disappeared from her spot.

Biting his lower lip, Lucas called out to Mesprit, "N-no fair! S-stop cheating, Mesprit!"

 _"Anything goes in a battle for your life, human!"_

Lucas wanted to attend to Munch, but an unseen force seemed to keep him in place. Whether it was fear or not, he couldn't go to Munch. His munchlax was still on the ground and failed to stand, writhing slowly in pain.

 _"Behold. The power of a legendary pokémon."_

Mesprit then reappeared to Munch's left, and her eyes glowed gold while her forehead gem shone brighter than before. As she began absorbing power, she formed a cross with her arms. A dark purple orb started forming behind the crossed arms.

Munch was dead-scared at what was to come and just remained bug-eyed and silent.

Lucas was aghast; he knew where this was heading.

"No… Stop it! Mes! STOP!"

Mesprit seemed to ignore his cries of mercy, and Lucas was bawling out for mercy uncontrollably.

And at point blank, Mesprit released her attack as a burgundy beam shot out to Munch at point blank.

* * *

That's it? The battle's… over?

And Munch's done for the day. That attack's fricking powerful!

Lucas knelt down, and he couldn't fight back his tears. Why? It's done. Nothing's gonna save him from his punishment.

 _"Human._ _Call back your pokémon. Now."_

Without changing his facial expression, he returned his Munch back to his poké ball and dropped it. Before it landed on the ground, he saw that his poké ball was glowing pink. It suddenly made itself small and then went inside his pocket.

 _"Human,"_ she repeated. Suddenly, he felt the wall pushing him closer to her. She was just floating there, but he knew he's gonna end up near her in just a sec. _"What will you do?"_ she asked.

 _What will_ I _do?_

She's asking what he should do? That one who just fricking wrecked Munch to bits without _any_ mercy?

 _No, I can't have it like this!_

Suddenly, he felt his body boiling with anger. What she did wasn't good. He also knew that he'd done nothing wrong to Mesprit, and it's all Barry's stupid, stupid genius plans! He quickly felt his hands needed to do something to her.

He was gonna beat her for doing that crazy thing to Munch, and she's gonna pay for it!

Gripping both hands hard, he had one last thing to do before he got the punishment he had.

 **"MESPRI—T!"** He screamed with his 100% anger and ran towards her with his ready-to-punch fists. His teary eyes also didn't look at anything else but that pokémon in front of him.

 _"So, this is your answer?"_

 **"SHUT UP!"**

Oh, she's gonna get it. He didn't care if he was gonna hit a girl. That wasn't what anyone'd do to a pokémon. She's gonna get it, and he's gonna beat her down!

Just when he's gonna whack her down, he… passed through her? Oh no, oh no!

He crashed and bumped his head _hard_ on the psychic barrier. When he got up, everything looked pretty weird, but he still knew she's in front of him.

But wait, something's painful… and it's like something's flowing on his head! He touched that part, and he quickly knew what it was.

"B-blood?"

Crud! It's getting fricking painful, and his head's like it's being thrown around places. Oh crud, he can't even stand up properly!

When he looked at her, even though it looked blurry, he saw her hand glow. Her arm swiped, and the pink light disappeared. Just after that, he felt the pain go away. His head's slowly cooling down, and he's slowly calming down. It's like everything's back to normal, but it still didn't change how he felt when he and she looked at each other.

Just like before, her expression never changed. He just lay back on the barrier and let himself be pushed forward.

 _"Human. Have you run out of ideas? You can speak with your mouth."_

What the heck's he supposed to do, teleport like some psychic-type? Nothing's changed, and danger was just a few steps away.

"I'm all out, Miss Mesprit…"

 _"You sound defeated."_

He weakly laughed. "Yeah. Thanks, Miss _Obvious_." Heh, at times like this, a good joke's the best way to keep it cool — "Urk!"

Suddenly, he felt something wrap around his neck before he got pulled by psychic to her. Dangit, it's just one pull of her arm, and he's quickly dragged to her like a doll. Heck, even the barrier boxed in till it was like those arcade close quarters. The two were tightly held in the remaining space.

She raised him up by the neck. _"What? What did you call me?"_

"No-no-no-no-no! I'm so sorry, Miss Mesprit! Please don't hurt me!"

 _"You called me_ 'Miss Obvious' _, am I right?"_

He felt the psychic grip become tighter and tighter, dangit! He tried to escape but also said, "Y-yes! I was joking! I was rude to — aahck! Please forgive me! Please put me down! Aahck—!"

 _"That's what I should be hearing from you, human."_ She let him go. _"Know your place."_

Coughing and rubbing his throat to remove the pain, he looked back up to face the Lake Guardian. Though he couldn't see it, he knew that there's this weird kinda air around her. It's like it's telling him that this pokémon was way, way, way more powerful than him.

But what the heck could he do? Remain silent? No, he had to say sorry, even though it looked like a bad idea to talk. Maybe that'd change her mind.

 _"What's that, human? Speak up."_

"I said… I'm very so… sorry… Miss… Mesprit…"

 _"For what?"_

"For… earlier… Disturbing you… Also… please… forgive Barry…"

She hmphed. _"Very well. Both of your transgressions are forgiven. Although, I shall be more merciful with you for being respectful from this point."_

This made him a bit more happy, but the pain's still going on in his throat. He thought that this could be his chance to get away scot free.

"D-does that… mean…?"

 _"No."_ Oh what the heck, she could read minds like an open book. Hiding anything or trying to plan anything against her when she's around looked very impossible. _"I believe you know what happens next, human."_

He felt weak. His time has come, or whatever the heck those movies said.

In just how many hours, his mom, Barry, and all the people in Twinleaf might be figuring out something happening to Lucas. He still knew that consequences had to happen to him, but he's still scared for it to happen, even though that's what's been taught to him for a very long time. He just needed to know: was there a fricking way outta this?

 _No… I don't wanna go…_

"It's so… fast…" he said while coughing a bit.

 _"Ah, your throat. Please forgive my forgetfulness."_ A pink light shone on his entire neck, and he felt that his throat's fixing itself. There's even this weird coolness inside, like he's eaten some ice-cool candy. _"You were saying? You needn't thank me."_

Clearing his throat like a gentleman, Lucas said, "I said that this is so fast. Who knew that my life's coming to a dead end—"

 _"Hold it right there, human. I've never ever stated that I would be taking you to the afterlife. Do not be too extreme. I mentioned that—"_

"E-excuse me, Miss Mesprit, but please let me finish," he cut and looked away. "I don't think you see what I see. I knew that you'd be taking away my memories and emotions… What I meant's that my entire life is… well… 'cause of those two. So, please…"

It's like his mind's become crystal clear. For some reason, he felt that he could take on the world. He looked back at her while fighting his tears back.

 **"Just take away my emotions."**

Dad once said that emotions can sometimes be a reason why heck-a important choices weren't made. That's a long time ago, but all of his dad's words were close to his heart. Even though he didn't really understand much of those stuff he said now, and even though he didn't know what'd happen after pretty much making a choice, he guessed that poofing emotions away was better than both memories and emotions going bye-bye.

Back to her, her face changed a bit, like how one'd make if they lost a video game.

 _"Y-you… Human, just what are you thinking…?"_ He told her what's on his mind, and her eyes sharpened. _"You do realise that your emotions are as needed as breathing."_

"I know. B-but wait. You said you were gonna take them in the first place, along with my memories. I-I don't get why you wanna tell me that I have to keep my emotions now…"

"K-kyaugh!" She quickly faced back. He could see her shivering, and her tails were being folded tightly. This wasn't what he's expecting from the Lake Guardian.

He slowly got near her. "Miss Mesprit? Are you alright?" No answer. He called out again, "Um, Miss Mesprit? I hope you're—"

 _ **"** **QUIET!"**_

Her eyes were glowing as she quickly floated to him. A strong psychic force wrapped around his body, like how a rope's tying him up. C-crud, her voice even stricter than before.

 _"Listen to me, human. I shall still take both away. Tell me, are you ready?"_

Just what did she want, first of all? Remove his memories only? His emotions only? Or both? Or… none at all? No, the last one's bull! Dangit, he needed time to think even though he's 'tied up' by her. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths to cool his head.

 _"Human, a_ _nswer me! My patience is dwindling!"_

"Y-yes. I'm ready."

 _"Are you sure?"_

"Yes. 100% sure."

 _"Very well. I'll—"_

"Um. Miss Mesprit?"

 _"What is it?"_

"Please, as a last favour as a friend of yours — if I still am, just give me the power to protect my mom and my friends."

She paused for a moment, but she nodded right after. _"Very well. Now, I shall be taking_ both _your memories and emotions."_

"A-alright, Miss Mesprit. But please, can you answer one last question? Just one, please?"

 _"What is it now?"_

"Is… is this really it? Can't you be a bit nicer to me?"

 _"Do not make me repeat myself. You missed your chance when I asked you_ that _question earlier."_

He frowned. "Y-yeah, you're right. I'm sorry for asking too much."

 _"Do not fret. I said that I was going to 'be merciful' with you."_

"Okay, Miss Mesprit. I really, really thank you from the bottom of my heart."

 _"You're welcome. Now, let the erasure of the mind begin. Everything after this will be normal, with a few exceptions. Think of it as a rebirth."_

"Rebirth? Like, I'm gonna be a new Lucas?"

 _"Yes. Now, please close your eyes."_

Her eyes remained glowing, and now, her gems started shining. Her hands made two bright balls when she slowly came closer to his head. Meanwhile, Lucas sat Indian style and closed his eyes to remember all those wacky stuff that happened in his life. Well, he had to be thankful and all that.

Really, it's been a very fast life he'd been enjoying with his rollercoaster of emotions and memories. Thanks be to God, he got saved from any dangerous stuff that nearly happened to him, especially those crazy adventures with Barry in this lake. He started saying his sorries to everyone he knew in his head, hoping that maybe it'd reach them through some divine thingamajig.

Dang, it's scary _and_ fun that everything's gonna change in just a snap of a finger.

 _I'm gonna be reborn into a Lucas version two. That's… kinda cool._ He smiled at that thought.

"And, Miss Mesprit," he muttered, "I actually thought you're cool and kinda cute. But I guess that's not who you really are. Sorry if I'm being mean or something… Thanks for being my friend even if it's a short time, too. Meeting a legendary pokémon's one heck of a ride." She stayed silent when he said it.

He could hear a whirring psychic sound come near his ears. He guessed that it's the orbs from her hands. Huh, it also sounded like some SFX from a video game.

 _Well, a new boring life without any emotion's coming to town. Thank you, God, for this wonderful life, and I pray that the new one's gonna be okay._

The whirring psychic sounds became louder. All he had to do now's play the waiting game until everything completed itself.

 _Waiting, huh…_

The whirring psychic sound didn't seem to become any louder or quieter. Maybe it's already happening, yeah!

He tried remembering some of his childhood memories a long, long time ago. He laughed a bit when he remembered one memory.

 _Oh yeah, there's that one time I accidentally spilled some water on Dad's papers. That's, like, when I was not yet in school. Dang, Dad laughed while Mom got mad. I really thought it'd be Dad getting mad, but it's the other way around. Heh, Dad._ Just remembering his late dad made him sad.

Now, he remembered when he got that fricking news. He hated that it's stuck in him: the news of his dad's… _passing_. Tried as hard as he did, he just couldn't let it go.

He remembered that evening when he snuck past bedtime and saw that man-in-black from the International Organisation of Health broke to his mom the news of his dad's passing. He hid behind the stairs when it happened. Remembering it _word by word_ from his mom; while his dad was on a medical mission in Africa, a terrorist group attacked the hospital he was working in. His dad was caught in the gunfire, and he got cremated by the funeral dudes after he went back to the United Regions. He could feel his sadness piling up 'cause he remembered the last time he saw his face in Hearthome City.

 _N-no… I thought I've gotten over it. I gotta stay calm… Happy memories, c'mon, happy memories!_

Trying hard, he remembered another funny memory. Now this included that airhead genius. He and Barry once put _a lotta_ sugar in the cafeteria's soup pot. All of his schoolmates and teachers who had soup as their lunch exploded!

 _Heh heh! They looked pretty pissed, too!_

They're never caught, but the feeling that they went on stealth mode and got a good look at their faces was epic! Both of them laughed and wheezed like tomorrow never came. Heck, Dawn got kinda weirded out by them.

 _Man, that was a blast. We were ninjas! That stupid cafeteria boy got the boot, and they even put the blame on some bully's mr. mime for—_

Wait a minute.

He could feel like nothing's happening, and that psychic sound's still there. He's able to recall his memories, and he could still feel happy and sad, too! Maybe she wasn't even erasing anything in the first place.

This was getting nuts. Was he getting ripped off by a legendary pokémon? Oh, or maybe this was another fricking test!

His eyes flew open, but he couldn't believe what he saw: a shivering Mesprit. Her eyes stopped glowing, and she's even crying in front of him. The orbs were there, but she's not doing anything but cry!

"K-kyauu…" she cried.

"M-Miss Mesprit? Mes? You okay?"

 _"Why… why?"_ Her voice sounded lighter than her strict-as-heck one.

"Huh?"

 _"Why're you so… determined? Why're you so different from before…? Why? Why?"_

"I-I'm sorry… What?"

 _"Luh… Lukey…! P-please… forgive me, L-Lukey…!"_

Lucas was heck-a confused. First, she's like some kinda judge. Now, she's turning back to the Mes he knew. Wait, he's still gotta be careful.

"Mes, I hope you're just—"

 **"KYUKI—I!"**

She called back her orbs and flew herself towards Lucas.

* * *

 **Anon Omega: Right about now.**


	8. 1-8: Hell 2 Him

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 ** _Last edited on: 9th of May 2020_**

* * *

She felt a presence enter her cave, but it was a friendly one that she didn't feel the need to be wary of. Wiping her eyes, she faced towards the direction of what seemed to have teleported to her cavern.

This was an unexpected visit, but she knew for a fact that they meant no harm.

 _"Oh! I didn't expect you to visit me at a time like this. What's up?"_

 _"You know that you_ must _be formal when speaking to me, Mesprit No. 100601,"_ the invisible figure spoke in a medium-pitched feminine tone. _"Plus, there's no need for the telepathy. No one can hear us within these closed walls. We can very well understand each other in our tongues, Dear."_

"Aw c'mon, _Mew_!" Mesprit spoke with her mouth. "We're outside the Hall's grounds and all, and it's just the two of us here; don't go invisible on me now!"

Mew sighed. "Oh, my dear, dear Mesprit… Ever-so impish indeed. Well, at least for _the_ Mesprit in front of me."

Mew removed her invisibility, revealing her sky-blue fur and azure eyes. Her tail waggled as she giggled for no apparent reason, something she occasionally does and which scares Mesprit and some of her colleagues. Most of the time, whenever Mew did giggle, it gave off a sort of bad omen. Mesprit had always thought it was Mew's so-called aura of superiority.

"W-what's so funny, _Chief_?" a trembling Mesprit asked.

Mew smiled and sharpened her eyes. "Oh, silly me! I just remembered something funny that happened in the past, wherein you were there, Dear. Thank you for rightfully addressing me, by the way." She continued giggling after explaining herself.

All Mesprit could think of were her previous 'disciplinary actions' she took as consequences for the countless times she stirred up both mischief and chaos alike. Not as bad as Az's though! Incidentally, all of them were dished out by her higher superior, Mew. Mesprit forced herself to laugh with Mew at this situation, since she now had an idea as to why her higher superior was here.

Being the one of the head managers of the Eastern Pacific Terminal 1 of the Hall of Origins, Mew was in charge of both the actions of each country division supervisor and its subordinates and relaying all messages to Father Arceus's confidante for that specific terminal of the Hall of Origins. In a sense, Mew was a chief coordinator under the terminal's boss, her arceus.

On the other hand, Mesprit was a subordinate under her sister, Uxie, ironically. Mesprit's duty was to report any anomalies and suspicious events within the United Regions, particularly in the Sinnoh region and nearby areas, to perform relevant tasks as per her specialty, and to maintain order. Their work wasn't tiring or as toiling as working in those fabled human 'black companies', but if either the subordinate or the country division supervisor was to stray too much from their respective jobs, they had to face bitter consequences. Mesprit's general duty was very similar to other subordinates under a country division supervisor, as well as her colleagues.

Mesprit had always considered her position and duties to be a curse in disguise. She had the blood of the original mesprit who tread the Earth millions of years ago, which was half the reason why she was eligible to be part of the Hall of Origins. She only liked being part of the Hall of Origins since it gave her useful perks, such as a longer lifespan, boosted power, and some others she couldn't even remember or bother to look up.

For a long time had she yearned for breaking free from these chains of responsibility. Throughout the course of nearly a hundred years of living, her life was pretty much boring. She had the company of some of her co-legendary pokémon and wild lake pokémon, though those weren't enough to entertain her to a certain extent. Mesprit had always thought that she'd die with a boring life.

That was, until she first met her Lukey around five or six years ago.

"Ring-ring, Mesprit. Stop your forced laughter, Dear," Mew cut Mesprit.

Mesprit gasped. "Y-yes, Chief. W-what brings you here? Do you need some refreshments? I have some berries and sweets that are—"

Mesprit was stopped when Mew raised her hand. This really meant something bad was in store for her.

"Dear, that won't be necessary now. I'll skip the pleasantries, since my time here is quite limited. I hope you won't mind."

Mesprit didn't like where this was going. "A-alright. What's the news, Chief?"

"I'm only here to relay you a message from… Boss' confidante. This was specifically told to me. And from me, to you. Miraculously, I was the only one with spare time and a willing self among the board."

"C- **confidante**?" Mesprit's heart nearly stopped upon hearing that word. "T-this has to be some kind of joke, right? Right?"

The confidante was basically a carbon copy of Mesprit and Mew's arceus, which meant that she had all the power and responsibilities like the arceus. Such only differed by a little bit, but that difference was negligible yet so significant to all members of the Hall.

"Yes, you heard me right. **Boss' very own confidante**. And I kid you not, Dear. Scan through my latest emotions or memories if you don't believe me."

Mesprit didn't even bother looking through her chief's mind for confirmation; Mew would never joke about anything related to her job. She knew it wasn't just a sort of scare tactic when Mew stated that she was sent by the confidante.

It was at this moment Mesprit began remembering all her mischievous doings throughout her lifetime that resulted into boring consequences, such as doing boring paperwork, tallying, recording, and the related. However, the bitterest thing she was particularly afraid of was the warning of the relinquishment of her position. Sweat began pouring from her pink face, and her pupils dilated.

"Oh, and Dear," Mew added. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm just being formal for the sake of relaying this message to you. Thank you for at least offering me some refreshments, too."

 _This doesn't make me feel any better!_

Mew grinned. "Whatever you say, or 'think', Dear."

It was a brain-fart for Mesprit to think that her thoughts were safe from her own superior. Mew hadn't always been this strict. In fact, she had a playful side with her, but at times like these, her formal persona had always arose.

"M-may I know what they are, Chief?"

Mew nodded. "Of course. I was getting to that, Dear. First off, I was told to ask you a few questions."

Mew snapped two of her paw-like fingers, and a small green notebook appeared and flipped itself open. The open notebook hovered in front of Mew's head. Mesprit gulped while waiting anxiously.

"Let's see… Boss' confidante told me that you're just going to answer a few questions truthfully. You won't be lying to me, or to the boss, right, Dear?"

Asking whether or not Mew could pick out lies easily was like asking if the sun would rise from the west. Mesprit knew that that question was just another of Mew's formalities, so no one could lie to Mew at all. Mesprit really couldn't do anything at this point than just to comply quietly.

Mesprit nodded as a reply. Her eyes furrowed, and she clasped both hands in anticipation of what's to come.

"Good." Mew extended her right hand to summon a small HB pencil on her paw. Gripping it, she continued,"Now, first question:

 **'How long have you been seeing that human boy, Lucas?'**

Personally, I've been curious too, Dear, but don't be bothered by my own curiousities."

Mesprit gulped upon hearing it. She undoubtedly knew that there'd come a time when she'd be questioned for being more than 'buddy-buddy' with a human, or at least attempting to that.

 _Shit ,I knew this day'd come! But why the hell today, of all times?!_

The thought of someone snitching on her surfaced, but she ignored entertaining those ideas; she currently had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Erm, I think… six years ago? B-but, when it was the first—"

"Woah there, Dear. I was told that you shouldn't explain yourself, so I'm going to have to stop you right there."

"M-Mew, c'mon. Look, that time was—"

"Stop. Please, I'm a busy pokémon. My time here is limited," Mew said in a low tone and a serious face. This wasn't something to press further. She continued penning something down in her notebook.

Mesprit muttered a weak 'okay'.

"Good, next:

 **'Have you been deleting his memories ever since?'** "

"Y-yes, Chief. That's true…"

Mew stopped writing and looked at Mesprit with sharp eyes.

 _As if you're the one doing the questions, Mew!_

Mew chuckled. "No, I'm not, Dear. You should know that this is my normal face at times like these. Last question:"

Mesprit's breathing laboured since the next question was really going to be a hard-hitter, despite it being the last.

" **'How about today? Have you deleted his memories today?'** "

Mesprit choked at that question and quickly looked away. She was expecting that question to come, but the shock was too overwhelming.

"Dear," Mew said with a questioning face, "are you planning to lie to me?"

Mesprit remained silent.

"You know, I can write down here 'no reply'."

"L-like that's gonna affect the confidante's opinion…"

"Do you really want me to write that?"

"NO!" Mesprit quickly covered her mouth with both hands as Mew's eyelid raised. "I-I mean, g-give me time to think, would y-you?"

"I'm afraid I have to ask for an answer A-S-A-P."

"Mew! I mean, Chief, please! Allow me to explain myself."

"No explanations, as per instructions, so answer. Now."

"C-c'mon! Let me just—"

"Mesprit. Now."

"I-I-I, that is, well. Uhm, you see."

"Mesprit No. 100601, I can file a report about your misbeha—"

"FINE! I DIDN'T!" Mesprit shut her eyes and turned away from Mew. She heard the scribbling of the pencil stop a few seconds after. Her teeth gritted like two rocks rubbing against each other.

 _W-what the hell… P-please, don't take away_ my Lukey _away…_

"Mesprit."

"W-what is it now?"

"Face me."

"Y-yes, Chief. F-forgive my rudeness."

Turning her head back to Mew, Mesprit's eyes were on the verge of tears.

"Man up, Mesprit No. 100601, you look pitiful. I still have a few more things to relay, but these're the last ones." The notebook and pencil both disappeared at the same time in a flash of mauve light.

Lightly slapping her cheeks twice and puffing out air, Mesprit replied, "I understand, Chief. Please continue."

"Now, the confidante told me that if Mesprit hadn't wiped his memories for today, she has to do it without hesitation."

"But, Mew, please. Hear me out," Mesprit requested in the most pitiable tone she could muster.

"Alright. What is it?"

"I don't want to."

Mew grimaced. "Excuse me?"

"Lukey—I mean, _the human_ has promised me that he won't reveal my identity or anything that would ever happen between the two of us. He's very trustworthy, and his aura is brimming with potential. Honest!"

Mew sighed. "I thought so."

"Eh? You're considering it?"

"You mean the confidante, rather. She told me this:

 **'By the time Mesprit defends the human or objects to you, tell her to** _ **give the human hell**_ **.'** "

 _G-give Lukey…_ _ **hell**_ _? Him? Him? Him? No, this is stupid!_

Mesprit nervously chuckled. "I don't even know what—"

"Don't play dumb, Dear. That's the last thing I have to mention in the confidante's stead before I leave. Good-bye." Mew turned around.

Mesprit's voice grew shakier. "W-wait! Please don't go!"

Mew paused, as if to think, before facing Mesprit with a slightly irritated face.

"What is it, Dear?"

"W-why?"

"What do you mean, Dear?"

"Why… why should he suffer just like that?"

"'Suffer'? That wasn't mentioned to me or implied in any way, form, or medium."

"I don't care about that crap. I just… wanna know why he has to receive a punishment…"

"Punishment for the human? I'm afraid you misunderstood, Dear."

"M-misunderstood?"

"This is **your** punishment, according to the confidante."

Mesprit's eyes widened. She began to see the light on the whole situation. Basically, severing the newly formed bond with the human was her retribution. It seemed that everything was foreseen by the confidante.

 _M-me? T-that clever bastard…! Taking advantage of my current situation!_

Suddenly, Mesprit stopped herself from cursing the name of the confidante, knowing fully well that that was equivalent to a grave punishment. Plus, Mew was right in front of her. The feline pokémon just hmphed in disgust.

 _B-but… Lukey… He can't be hurt._ My Lukey _can't be hurt…_

"I… I don't wanna…"

"You don't wanna what?"

Mesprit faced the ground and fiddled her fingers. "H-hurt him…"

 _Lukey… can't be hurt. He can't be hurt. I don't wanna hurt him._

"Dear, face me."

Mesprit looked back up and stared at Mew's stoic eyes. "C-Chief?"

"Do you want to _relinquish your position_?"

"No-no-no-no-no!" Mesprit buried her head on Mew's abdomen. "Mew, please don't tell Father Arceus or the confidante! Please!" she in between sniffles.

"The way I see it, Dear, complying with the confidante is the only way to keep your place in the Hall of Origins."

"B-but, it's a boring life for me in this damn place! Lukey's the one who's saving me from this boring hell! L-look, even you have—"

"Fine then. If you choose to disobey the confidante, your spot shall be taken away. Then, I'll be, with the power granted to me, wiping your memories and then reincarnating you as a—"

"CHIEF, PLEASE! I DON'T WANNA QUIT THIS!"

"Then just delete his memories for today! If you don't want to, _give him hell_! And if you still don't want to obey those orders, then relinquish your position! Stop being contradictory, Dear!"

Mesprit began crying out loud. "CHIE—F! NO-NO-NO-NO! PLEASE DON'T KICK ME OUT! PLEA—"

Mew's irritated face manifested more clearly, and her eyes furrowed. "Then go! Delete his memories! It'll spare him the pain!"

"AARGH! CHIE—F! DON'T TAKE MY LUKEY AWAY! DON'T MAKE ME START AGAIN! DON'T—"

 **"YAWA! NGA BATA KA!"**

Mew snapped and slapped Mesprit's face hard, causing the pink pokémon to land on the puddle. It only took a few moments for Mew to realise what she'd done. Meanwhile, Mesprit was trying to get up and wipe her eyes.

"C-Chief? I'm sorry. I'm really sorry! P-please forgive my outbursts!" Mesprit apologised repeatedly as she hovered to Mew.

"N-no, Dear. I should apologise. I couldn't control my anger. My language was also inappropriate for myself."

"H-huh?"

Mesprit rarely saw her higher superior outrage like that, but when she did, her mouth would blurt out profane words from her hometown or turn very unpleasant to hear. If Mew had playful and strict sides, her angry side was known for that. Mesprit had never understood Mew's hometown's language, yet she could very well sense her genuine anger.

A short and silent pause ensued, before Mew started speaking.

"F-forget about that, Dear. Just follow what the confidante said."

"Chief… I'm sorry. Please don't report me…"

Sighing and looking at Mesprit, she spoke with a soft tone,

"Look, Dear. Just a hint."

"Y-yes, Chief? Please do tell!"

"Find _loopholes_. Don't take instructions too literally."

"Okay…"

"After you've done whatever you need to do, check the news later at anyone's home this evening. There'll surely be some news about a **murder**." Mew then gasped, as if she remembered something important. "Since you're near Twinleaf Town as well, there might be some ruckus there later on."

"W-what?!"

How could a news of a murder occurring be a hint, thought Mesprit. The first part was okay, but this dreadful news was far from related in her perspective.

 _What the hell?! I'm not informed of this! L-Lukey might—_

"Hush, Dear." Mew's tail stiffened. "It won't endanger any humans in Twinleaf forasmuch as I know, and it isn't pressing for you."

Mesprit exhaled a large volume of air. "Thank goodness…"

"But," Mew turned to face Mesprit and grinned, "this'll be our little secret. I'll keep silent of this argument we had earlier, deal?"

"Y-yeah, you can count on me. But! But! One last question before you leave!"

"What is it, Dear?"

"A murder? How does it connect to those loopholes and literal obedience-stuff? I don't understand this!"

The feline pokémon closed her eyes and faced towards the brown walls of the cavern. Giggling, she said, **"I believe in second chances, especially in humans."**

"Oh, I almost forgot," Mew added. "Report the details of whatever you've come up with to your sister Uxie or me in a legal-sized paper. Though, I know you'll be sending it to me, Dear. I'm expecting it by evening since the confidante wants it by 22:30."

And with that, Mew disappeared in a flash of purple light, leaving Mesprit alone to her quiet, brown cavern.

 _Like hell I'd let Yux know…_

Mew's mind has always been an enigma for Mesprit. Though, she always knew that Mew also shared a certain fondness for humans, but kept it a secret between herself and a few of her trusted friends. Mesprit even entertained the thought of Mew having a human partner, albeit being speculation.

Fuck, just when everything seemed to go all too well.

Looking up the dripping stalactites, Mesprit muttered, " _Second chances_ , huh. Oh, Lukey… How should I deal with the confidante's orders…"

The sprite-pokémon then began hatching up a plan to both 'give the human hell' and keep him away from harm's way as much as possible.

In order to do that, however, she had to put her Lukey in a very tight spot and push him over the edge, but without giving him any form of pain. Each time Mesprit entertained the thought of her Lukey being hurt, it constricted her conscience. This order and her plan were basically two opposing magnets put near each other.

After a few, excruciating minutes of self-debates, she finally came up with a plan: giving her Lukey a very simple 'yes-or-no' test, and either answer would result in a painfully menial task, such as watering all growing berries in Lake Verity.

"Not limited to that, though. As long as it's something that's hella boring without hurting him, that's fine! But… there's one last detail to the mix…"

Though Mesprit had primary plan, she intended to put another one; if her Lukey answers neither 'yes' nor 'no', he has to be subject to a series of 'emotionally taxing activities'. And if that ever happened, she had to reveal everything that had transpired since Mew visited her earlier.

"Of course, I'll ensure that he won't answer anything beyond 'yes' or 'no'. I mean, it's not like he's gonna overthink or anything! I really think that Lukey's still a cute little boy with a cute little mind after all these years… Yes, a cute… little… boy~" Fantasising about her Lukey, Mesprit grabbed one of her tails and bit the middle tip of her tail while hugging it. "Ah, dammit!"

Forcing her eyes open, she spat the trefoil tip out and wiped the saliva with her psychic strength. The wrapped tail undid itself, and Mesprit slapped her cheeks repeatedly.

"What the hell am I doing?! Focus, focus, focus!" Taking in a few breaths, she calmed herself down.

Recalling her latest idea to her plan, she decided that a proper persona should be brought up when speaking to her Lukey. That should also be the last addition to her plan before she practices her skit.

"I'll have to put up that stinking façade once more. It's been quite a while since I last appeared as an 'alien' in front of a human." Rotating her body so as to see the clear puddle under her, she looked at her hot pink face and droopy reflection. "Can I still do it, though?"

Remembering those times her sisters acted in front of trespassing humans, she shut her eyes.

" _'Human! Thou shalt not pass!'_ "

Her eyes glowed and her gems shone red.

"No, no. That's too cringe-y." She blushed at thinking how her Lukey would've laughed at her shoddy performance. "If only this problem didn't exist… Okay, how about this?"

She yearned for a more 'human-like' approach.

" _'I, Mesprit, shall be the one to judge you!'_ "

She began pointing to her reflection dramatically while posing.

"No… That's too Dialga in nature. And I can't directly tell him that! Jeez, what's a good persona I can do…"

Mesprit continued practicing and trying out alien personas. While she was picking out the best one, a soft yet rackety voice could be heard.

"Come on out, Mesprit! You're in there, I know it!" the voice softly screeched.

Mesprit was urged to look up. "What the…"

Curious, she closed her eyes to concentrate and listen more clearly.

"If you don't show yourself, I'm gonna fine you!" a childish voice reverberated in the cavern, now more audible. A series of whistles and yells followed.

A vein bulged on Mesprit's forehead. "Hell? It's that blonde douche bag's voice…"

"Mesprit! Come on! Show yourself, please!"

Mesprit's eyes furrowed. "You're lucky you're not gonna be blown by me, out of my _utmost_ kindness."

While the voice kept on screaming, Mesprit continued practicing her act. That was, until Barry mentioned a certain name.

"Mesprit! If you don't show up, I'm gonna…

 **punch Lucas**!"

The practicing abruptly ceased. The sprite-pokémon's eyes furrowed more intensely, and her pupils dilated. Soon, orbs slowly materialised and orbitted around Mesprit.

 _L-Lukey's in trouble?_

 _Yeah, looks like it._

 _Calm down, Mesprit. It's just his human friend. Perhaps he's fooling around…_

"I know you can hear me, Mesprit! I'm really gonna do it!"

"You…! Just what do you think you're doing?"

This wasn't good, she thought. Whether or not those words were all bark and no bite, Mesprit wouldn't gamble on the chances of her Lukey being harmed, even if it was as small as the tiniest speck in the universe. Her Lukey must be free from any harm at all costs under her watch.

 _Don't act too soon, Mesprit, It's most likely—_

 _No! I don't wanna risk it!_

Mesprit groaned. _Alright. You're the leading personality. It's your choice._

The voice didn't stop its wave of taunts. "I'll **smash** Lucas flat! I'll **gut** him to the bone!"

She had to stop him. _B_ _ut at least show a bit of mercy for Lukey's friend._

"Fine!"

Mesprit turned invisible and teleported away from the cavern, ready with her attack.

* * *

 **Anon Omega: Yes, I'm alive. Just busy, and even the summer's taking a toll on my schedule. To answer your question, read to find out hahaha.**

 **Guest No 1: Gee~ Thanks. Mesprit x Lucas (I think it was LakeVerityShipping) has been one of my best Pokémon ships since D/P/Pt.**

 **Mallory S. Nocturne: Hmm... Thanks...**

 **Guest No 2: That's a nice observation. Thanks, and I'm becoming more _gung ho_ in writing too, slowly but surely.**

 **The Crystal Brick: Thanks. Surely, they will. When? Find out hehehe**

 **Guest No 3: Things happen for a reason :P**

 **Greninjaten99: Mmm. I like your observations, and also it's a good thing you pointed out a mistake I've made (something I really appreciate and encourage readers to do hehehe).**

 **Hope you guys stick around for more! Thank you for reading (and reviewing)!**


	9. 1-9: Reveal

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 _ **Last edited on: 13th of May 2020**_

* * *

Dang, Mes just told him why she's been acting all strict-judge-ish, and she's crying so, so hard on his t-shirt… Heck, he could feel his bandages get wet. Dangit, what's a guy like Lucas supposed to do?

"Mes? Was that story also true?"

She didn't look up, and she nodded before going back to crying.

Actually, Lucas took this whole story with a grain of salt. Her reason kinda didn't make any sense to him.

 _I mean, a mew popping up outta nowhere? Hall of Origins? Sounds like baloney to me._

But looking at how much she's crying, he felt her pain. Maybe it's 'cause she's a psychic-type legendary pokémon, but he could feel it. If he'd put it in words, it's like getting yelled at by teachers.

While he let her continue crying, he thought about how meeting her'd spiralled into a mess, kinda. He thought that maybe his future might be even something messier and weirder, but he wasn't really bothered by it. If he's gonna get punished a lot or get a lotta awards, he just shrugged it off like some dried leaf on his shoulder.

Well, looking into her reason and mini-story, Mes was just following orders. Lucas'd do something the same if Lucas got some stuff to follow. Besides, at the end of the day, she's still his friend. He couldn't get mad at her. Heck, she's the reason why he's still okay. Also, he's kinda scared at what crazy and wacky psychic thingamajigs she could do.

Still, this day's a complete rollercoaster of events. In just how many hours, a lotta stuff went crashing on Lucas' face, but the craziest one for him was meeting up with this hyper — and crying — pokémon on his t-shirt. Barry coming back from the dead after dueling with a chatot _and_ those crazy staraptors were second to it.

Looking back at Mes, maybe he should _really_ be comforting her.

 _But what can I do? I don't see my friends crying, so I don't really know how to…_

Then, it hit him. He remembered those times when his mom and dad hugged him while he was crying after he'd trip and scratch his knee. He could remember his mom and dad saying something to him, but he couldn't quite remember. Man, those're the good ol' days when Dad was here…

 _It's worth a shot._

He rested his back on the barrier and pulled his crying friend a bit higher for a hug. He heard her gasp, and he nudged his cheeks on her head.

"Hey, Mes," he called out. "I'll be honest. I really don't really get what the heck happened, but I've been there: getting called out for being a naughty boy and all that and told to do stuff I didn't like by teachers. Really, I know how it feels. So please, don't cry."

Looking at him with red eyes, she replied, "K-kyau?"

"Uh." Lucas scratched his head. "I still don't understand pokémon-ese, but yes. Did I get you right?"

Giggling while sniffling, she answered in telepathy, _"Yeah, Lukey."_

"Cool. Guess I could understand pokémon-ese in the future!" Lucas chuckled at his joke.

 _"B-but, Lukey…"_

"Yeah, Mes?"

 _"I don't really think you know how much this hurts me. I've hurt you, a-and you had to go through all those crap because of me! I don't know how you're mature and understanding enough to overlook this, o-or maybe you're just trying to be one when you really aren't—"_ She quickly covered her mouth. Her eyes began tearing up again. _"No-no! I didn't mean it! I'm a stupid-stupid-stupid 'mon thinking that—"_

"Mes!" He shook her shoulders. She screamed, kinda loudly. "Chill!"

"K-Kyuki?"

"Even if you don't think so, I understand just a teensy bit, honest! Also, Dad once told me that if you wanna be manly and mature, you've gotta act like one even when you can't. I'm trying my best here, so I don't really mind if you see me pretending!"

 _"What do you mean?"_

"Thing is, I don't mind if you had to put me in that darn-hellish test-crud! Everything's a learning experience for me, says Dad! I'm trying to grow up, too! And if I cry in front of you, I don't really mind! Even to millions of 'em!" He paused for a sec. Dang, maybe that's a bit crazy. "You know, I'll really mind if I was in front of a lot of people… Anyways! Don't be too hard on yourself, please, Miss Mesprit of Lake Verity!" He softly held his friend's small shoulders.

She just looked at him bug-eyed. Maybe she's trying to take in what he said. "C'mon, Mes." He patted her back. "My teacher told me that legendary pokémon are tough, inside and outside. I really know you are, so please cheer up, Mes! I know you're cooler than all the pokémon I've seen!" He put on a big smile for her. "Honestly, you're really cool as heck a moment ago! I didn't know you could shoot those big laser beam stuff, and this barrier's," he banged it once, making a weird but cool wavy sound, "pretty neat."

Wiping more of her tears, she sweetly smiled. _"Yeah, you're right!"_ Suddenly, she's slowly becoming the Mes he knew moments ago. _"It's done, so I guess we're alright."_ She looked at him with those puppy eyes. _"A-are we alright, Lukey?"_

"Yeah, we're cool! It's just that…" He scratched his head.

 _"O-oh no, Lukey?"_

He got Munch's poké ball out, "It's Munch. Why'd you have to do that? That's so unfair, and you've hurt him real bad!" He's now trying not to cry in front of her. Weird enough, she just squeaked and laughed at Lucas' face. Dang, just who's the sad one here? "Hey, this isn't funny! Munch is—"

 _"L-Lukey, please calm down. He's already healed. Earlier, when I levitated his poké ball to you, I worked my psychic powers under your nose, a-and I'm sorry if I scared you with that scary persona of mine."_

He sighed when he returned Munch's poké ball. Well, at least Munch's alright.

 _"Lukey?"_

"Yeah? What's up, Mes?"

Wiping her eyes with her arms, she quickly embraced Lucas' neck and rubbed her hot pink head against his left cheek. Her tail-tips rested behind his head.

 _"From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you so much!"_

He patted her soft back while smiling. "Sure thing, Mes. I'm glad you've calmed down already. Thanks again for healing Munch."

 _"About that munchlax… No hard feelings, right?"_

"I-I… Well, you _did_ heal him, so yeah."

 _"It wasn't_ too _strong, Lukey. He'll be fine with the rest he needs."_ He hummed an 'okay'.

Huh, it's weird that he's hugging a girl besides his mom up close. Maybe 'cause it's a pokémon, but it's still a girl. Heck it's kinda near that he could take a whiff of what she smelled like. It's kinda creepy of him, but it's like her head's trying to come near his nose. _Smells good, dang. Something like flowers and citrusy berries combined…_

Then, there it was. A warm feeling passed through his body while hugging her. "M-Mes! There it is!"

"Kyauun!" She released herself from Lucas. She looked pretty worried and alert, like a soldier.

 _"L-Lukey? What's wrong?!"_

"It's a warm feeling. I've been getting it from you pretty much!"

 _"'Warm feeling'?"_

He nodded. "Especially when you and I touch each other. Don't you feel it, too?"

 _"L-Lukey and m-me? T-touching?"_ She covered her face. _"W-well, maybe it's because of my psychic power and signature flowing onto you? O-or, maybe everything's because of…"_

She paused for a moment. Dang, what's that other thing?

"Are…?" he asked, closely waiting for an answer.

 _ **"Fate?"**_

Okay, what? How's that gonna explain the 'warm feeling' he's been getting? "Uh, I don't get it."

 _"Uh, I dunno, too. I was just saying things."_ She giggled after saying that.

He pouted. That's a pretty lousy answer. "Aw, c'mon, Mes. Whaddaya mean 'fated'?"

 _"Uh,"_ she tugged her pigtails, _"I meant to say, 'au fait'! Y'know, like I'm more 'au fait' with you 'cause I'm more familiar and hang out with you! That's why you could feel that 'warm feeling', and I didn't mean to say 'fated', Lukey."_ She smiled at the last part.

 _Ow-fey? Huh, maybe I didn't hear it right._ He shrugged his shoulders. Barry's right; maybe he should really clean his ears when he got back home…

Just before he got up, she said, _"Now's the time."_

"Oh yeah, it's getting kinda late. Thanks for reminding me, Mes." He realised that he'd been staying with her for quite some time. The sky's becoming a big orange-ish, too. "If you don't mind, I gotta get go—"

"Kyauuuuun!" Woah! She held him back from standing up. _"Wait-wait-wait-wait! Please don't go just yet! I've got something else to do!"_

"Oh, really?" He scratched his head. "Aw, but I really have to go."

 _"Lukey, please…"_ She let go of him and hovered in front of him, looking at him with a begging face. He felt worried with that look of hers. Did he do something, again? _"There's still something I have to do. One last thing. Please, can you stay a bit longer, Lukey?"_

Okay, now it's getting pretty weird. He then thought of what the heck he's been saying and doing to her. M-maybe he said something that kinda made her mad. He gulped pretty loudly, and he's sweating buckets.

 _"A-and, please don't worry! I'm not gonna hurt you! I swear! Trust me on this, Lukey! It really won't take long!"_ she pleaded.

She clasped her hands and shut her eyes. Her tails stiffened as well. He could tell that she's being honest, but he's still kinda careful.

Ah, the heck with it. Why's he gotta be scared?

 _Mes won't do anything bad. I know she won't! She's my_ _ **friend**_ _!_

"Alright, Mes. I'll stay." The pixie-pokémon's face lit up, and she thanked him with a big smile. "So, what're you gonna do?"

Slowly, she gave of this let's-get-down-to-business look. _"Lukey, I'll be… trying to recover what's lost. I think I still have a chance to do it."_

"'Lost'?"

 _"It's been a while, but I'm still not as good as Yux in the art of_ memory reawakening _."_

"'Yux'?"

 _"S-sorry if I'm being rude, but would it be alright if you just paid attention? Please don't get me wrong, but I just need you to listen, Lukey,_ _"_ she said while holding her hands together.

"A-alright, but why're you acting like this? T-this doesn't feel right at all, Mes."

Okay, this was getting really weird! She got neater to Lucas. He tried to move back, but he got stopped when he felt the barrier behind him. She closed in until her face and Lucas' were literally millimetres away. Lucas could feel her breath beneath his chin. His eyes and her golden eyes locked contact. Yeah, it's pretty awkward for him.

 _"Lukey?"_

"M-Mes?"

 _"I hope… I hope you can forgive me after all the times we've met."_

Her eyes began to tear up a bit. Uh oh, the black part in her eye's becoming bigger like before.

"M-Mes, I feel like you're—"

She hushed him and pulled his forehead to her glassy forehead gem with her arm. She wrapped her other arm behind his head. Her eyes closed, and each of her tail-tips were put on his cheeks softly.

Dang, this was creepy and strange. What the heck's she doing? What'd she mean by 'lost' and 'all the times we've met'? Was this 'Yux' her sister? Am I going to get hurt? Dangit, he just wanted to ask her everything he had!

 _What the heck, Lucas? I just gotta follow what she said. She's my friend, and she knows what she's doing._

Finally giving it up to her, he felt something warming up in his forehead that's connected to her forehead gem. Even his cheeks felt the same thing, but those weren't enough to burn him or anything. It's like a warm compress, but cooler.

A moment later, the gems were glowing light pink, and even her body's starting to glow, too!

"M-Mes? What's going — AH!"

Then, it happened.

Thousands of pictures flashed in his mind like a video playing in his head at lightning speed.

"MES! WHAT THE — EEARGH!"

But that wasn't all. He could 'hear' the 'video' saying something. Dang, the videos were becoming clearer and clearer! He could now see a TV in his head!

 _Ļ̸̛̛̫̬͍̟̜͎̬̱̲͂͒…̵̠̬͈͖̼̲́̀̈́͐͗ ̴̬̗̣̪̝̼̥̰̉ỳ̷̞̟͕͔̟̜͂͒̀̌̓̾̓̅͝…̸̢̢͙͈̭̬̥̜̀̍̑̀̍̚͠ͅͅ ̵̤͇̝͍̩͆͑͗̓͐̒̀̎͆͝L̴̡̫̞̜̥̝̱̞͒́ṷ̷̢͇̣̞͂͗̍̈́̈̉…̷͎̪͕͈͖̆͋́̈͝ ̴̨̫͚̂͊͝͝e̴̬̊̀ỳ̷̫̮̦̳̪͖̙̤͎̑́̋̎͒̄͘͜…̴̪͌́̇̀͐̓ ̸͖̠̀͒̈L̴̙̪̠̃̀͊͋͌̈̀̄͜͝͝ú̷̡̬̩̮͍̘̩̻̫͎̋͑̏́̑̓̓k̸̰̏̔̐̐͒̀…̸̬͈̬̖̩̮̚ ̷̪͌͗̈́̑̈͠e̵̢̛̼͈̣͓̠͇̱͎͑͆͒̀͂͜͝y̵̹̿̄̅̏…̴̞̤̪͎̠̄?̸͕̦̬͇͈̻͊̄̃͗̈́͂̕ ̶̘͂̃̄̔̈́͊̌̄̾́L̶͓̞͒͆͐̅ͅú̸̱̰̼͎ͅͅ…̵̱͕̙̎ ̸̡̧͎̺̹̹̳̭̹̌̀̈́̀͑̓͘͘k̵̩̲̹͙͍͉͓̪̈̓̎e̵͚̲̮͉͛͌̿ẙ̸͖̘̥͉̤…̷̥̞̥̥̗̰̞̬̃̋̑̾̓͑̎̓͘!̵̛͙͖̼̬̣̦͚̦̉̅͌̇͛̑͑́͜͜ ̸̙̹͚̱̭̫́̌͒̋̂͒̋L̸̛̠͍̙̯̼̻̣͓̜̍̀́͆̂̐̈́͝u̶̺̠̬̼̾̄ḳ̷̩̖͎͚̂͐̓̎͋͜͝ë̵̼̻̱͈̥͎͕͈̟̫́͐̓̊̄͝y̶̛͉̝̳̘̭̹̱̜̅̿̎́̂̔́̚…̵̜̦̳̞͐̔̀!̸͉̩̰̜͖̌͂̏̔͘_

A smiling Mes was happily floating around.

 _P̶̻̠̠̲͔̞̍̈́…̷͇̫̙̊̎̀̾̋̚͝͝ ̷̬̟̘̩̜͕̘͔͖̻͐̇̓̿̅̇̄̕y̸̧̦͓̺̠̤̼͉͔̓͝͠…̴̥̜͍͓̤͚̓̚ ̵̨̼͕̤̲͍̼͉͙͙́̒̿̐̍̒͗͋̋ḿ̷̼̹̠͔̹̥̩̱̍͂̎̈́͒̏́è̷̢̛̱͈̮͋̽̂̔͊̀̚͝…̵̨̻̟̬̺͈͕̑̉̂͌̓̇̄́̊͝!̴̧̲͇̹̲̜̠̮̰̅͛ ̷̤̼͔̭̞͍̥̎͋̅͗̈́͒̓̓̂͝W̴̡̫̉͆̓̔̊̽́̾͌̈i̴͖̠̯̊̉̽̈́̆̽̓…̴̼̔̈́̒͒͛̑̈͆̓͜ ̴̛̛̼̓̆́̓̕ỵ̷̝̹̫̱̺͒͊̾̌̍͜a̸̞̙͗̍̓…̷̛͈̟̱̲̩̠̍̅͛̈́̾͠͠?̸̗̻̊̈́̈́̊͌͛̔͛_

He could see that he's dragged by her somewhere.

 _D̵̰͇̘̰̝̐́̈̏́́̚…̴̡̖͕͍̺̭͓̞̓̈́͛͋͜ ̴̳̃͛̀̈ḽ̴̛̘̳̬͕͈̣̃̀͋͋̅ė̶̖͍͔͍͓̮̥͋ã̶̢̰͕͔̓̎̌̕…̸̛̤̺̏͗͐͑̈́̆̄̐ͅ ̸͈͚̹͌̈́͂͋̔ë̸̡̘̜͚̭̗́́̽̃̕͝͝…̸̥̰̫̒!̵̜̳̱̼̥͍̄͛̒͆̇̽̄͜ ̵̨̨̖̹̥̘̭̑̌̾̐̓̔̊͛I̶̧̤͎͎͔̜̭̲̼͒̔͑́̑̍͋͐…̸̼͓̠͚̟͌̓͝ ̴̰͍̗̝̜̭̐̿̌á̵̙͇̪̻̥̯̙̼̩̠̂̏̀͆̚͠l̴̘̗͔̰̤̍̈͐̊̈́̃͋̀͝ͅ…̷̢̜̦̜͉̐͑͆͂ lone… B̷̧͓͉̘̀̕͝͝ȗ̴̲̰͇̙̬̗̟̑t̵͔̱͖̀̊̅̏̌̿́͂͜…̷̡̹̟̺̰̮̋_

Her face looked sad and about to cry, and she suddenly turned to him.

 _F̸̝̝̦̻̠͉̩̼̖̣̓́͒͛͋r̵̹̜͔̦̣̔͑͛̏̅͘͠…̸̨̧̟̳̜̋̔̀̆̈́͘ nd…? Ḭ̸̛̯͋̍̃̅̆͌̓̈́͘͜'̵̲̘̳̫̼̔͘͠m̵̢̻̹̬̦͙̋̕…̶̫̰̀̆͋ new… e̸̢͚͔̍̌̐̆͑̾̉͊n̴̨̢̧͓̠̙̳̣͔̋̆̎̇́͗̋̽͘͜͝d̵̛͍̘̓ͅ…̷̡͖͈̪͍̄̎̓͛̍̅͝!̷̡̙͉̟͔̹̰̱̇_

He could see that her eyes were bug-eyed.

 _Sa… i̸͕̖͈̭̝̫͍̯͎̦͆͝ň̵̨̡̛̻̭̮̪̘̹̈́̽g̴̼̝̬̬̬͉̗͕̀̊…̶͙͙̜̎̾ ̸̨̧̼̤̟̲̱̬̟́̿m̴̧͙̜̫̣̪̒̎̅̆̈̈͜͜e̸̼͔͉͗͛̂̄̎̓͠ͅ…̷̼̭̦̑̀̄̈̄̅̆͘!̴̬̔̌͋̉͛̚ Tha… s̸̥̺̖̳̹͆̕ą̴̼̟̟̬̤̹̹̩͑́̀̈́͗̅͗̿̂v̴̘̝͝͝ī̶̛̬̼̞̙̱̣̠̕n̵̓̔͑͠ͅğ̵̨̜̲̤͂̇̎̌͌͝͠…̶̨̡̲̳͓̝̭̤̐̑͂̈́͒̈́̃̽͜ me!_

A bruised and jacked up Mes cried while smiling.

 _Do… you… l̵̨̯͇̳̪̔͌͊͑͐͠i̶̳̫͙̐̏̂͂̽̍̃̄͝k̷̦̯̝̩̗̎̎̅̈́̈́̒́̚͠͝e̴̢̱̪̥̠̟̻̟̪̾̂̓̍̃͌̀̒͘ͅ…̶̛͙̺͒̈́̈́͑̋̅̌͝ s̴͍̘̪̣͎̪͗̎̀͋̚o̸̻̟͙͉͔̦͓̩͂̏̒̍̊͒͑̍͊͒͜ͅm̵̩̱̦̪̖͇͕͎͚̈́̈̈́̈͌e̴̲͚͙̪̻͚̘̐̏̄͋̓̑͌͝͝…̵̢̨͓̳̤̺̲̏̂͒͂͘ one?_

She's looking smug at him.

 _Į̵͈̣̬̻̥͍̂'̷͉̮̍̉̾̀ͅm̸̯͕̓̾͌̈…̸̪̈́ sorry… out… your… f̷̨̗̖̋̓̈̀̋͆̅͠a̶̡̨̘̖͇̳̋̕t̶̥̞͚͔̬͇̼͉͌̈́͊̎́̾̚͜ḩ̴͙͉̞͖͖̠͛̍̾͜e̵̦̤̗̎̎r̷̤̙̤̲̞̼̓̾͐̌̑…̷̤̟̠̲͙̟̳̮̅ͅ_

She looked very sorry.

 _Ha… ha… ha! Y̷̪͉̞̭͌̐̋̽ơ̴̛̻̪̦̞͆̾̄̽ư̵͔͔͌͋̔̽̿̈́̐̊̚'̸̛̺̗̦̞̳̘̪̂͑̊̍̑̏̓́̃͜͜ŕ̴̢̡̥͓͍͈͈̲͋͌e̷̢̢̨͈̞̦̖̩͍̹̐̊͝…̷̠̠͋̾͂͊͛̏̄ it…!_

She's laughing, and then she suddenly disappeared in a flash of pink light.

 _Jeez… you're ṇ̴͇̜̤̹̺̖̫̠́͒̇̅͆͆̓̔͜ọ̷̱̥̈́͘͝t̵̩̘̭̻͇̹̃̒͆ͅ…̶̮̌̒̅̄̈̆̅ ̷̨̧̢͉̳͈̰̺̲͙̓l̷͉̳̲̍̀̀́̍̑͊̀̄͝ͅi̸̧̝͔̻͈̮͔̟̬͌͝k̴̲̝̱̠̜̺͖͇̔̎̐ȇ̵͎̞̱͋͘ ̵̧̦͚̻̯̝͊́̈̂̂̋̓̈́̓a̷̖̬͉͊̌̇͐̏̅̀͐̒̕n̴͈̪̯̥̈́́͋̈́̂̿̀̑̾y̴̱̽̅̀̀͊̀ ̵̣̙͙͖̙̖͓͓̎̊͛̽ͅǫ̷̼̠̦͙̻̤̈́f̶͚̭͉̙̓̒̈́͒̏̈͝…̵̛͇͎̅͗̉̃̾̓͛ your neigh… bours…_

She crossed her arms and pouted at him before looking away and hmphing loudly.

 _Are you ą̸̤͙̱̯̞͍̱͕́̋̈́̿̀͝f̷͕͍̦̣̜̾̿̀̀͌̿͊̇̅̚ͅraid… of me?_

She asked with a very sad face.

 _ **Please… forgive me, Lukey.**_

* * *

Dang, Lucas was pooped! Mes always poofs out when he's gonna get her in tag. Oh boy, just how's he gonna get her to be 'it'?

They just lay down on the flowerbed and looked up to the blue sky. Looked like even Mes was pooped from poofing out a lotta times. Serves her right!

 _"Hey, Lukey?"_

"Yeah, Mes?"

 _"What are your dreams?"_

"Well, I wanna make my ultimate pokémon team, battle them hotshot pokémon trainers Mr. Rowan and Ms. Cynthia, and win a million dollars!"

 _"Hee hee~ I like your dreams, Lukey. They'll become a reality, I just know it!"_

"Aw, thank you! It means a lot to me, Mes!" She kept on giggling. "And Mes, could you become part of my ultimate pokémon team?"

 _"Why not, Lukey? I'd love to be your partner anytime!"_

"Heck yeah!"

 _Aw yeah! I got a poké-partner off the bat real quick!_

 _"Ah-ah. I know what you're thinking, Lukey~, but maybe in the near future. Not now. You're still too young for those."_

"I-I'm not young! I'm a man!"

 _"Aw~, cheer up, Lukey! We'll become partners when the time is right. You can count on that! Also,"_ she poked his nose, _"I don't think eight human years of age counts as a man."_ She winked at him right after.

Aw man. Well, she's right. He knew she'd say something like that, so he just smiled at her.

 _"Oh, Lukey?"_

"Yeah?"

 _"If you're still pushing through that adventure thing when you grow up, would it be possible if I joined you? I really, really want to go around the world with you."_

He thumbs-upped. "Yeah! It'd be cool to go on an adventure with you, Mes!"

She giggled. _"I bet you could teach li'l ol' me a thing or two about the world, right?"_

"Sure thing! Heck, I wanna show you everything that I know once I'm big!"

 _"I'm excited, Lukey!"_ Aw, she's so happy when he said that. She's so cute and cool!

"You're looking at the future 'Top 1' in my school! You're gonna be proud of my smarts and all, Mes!"

He heard her long 'aw' after he said that. She looked pretty excited to see him ace classes, and she better be!

"Oh yeah, I wanna ask, what're your dreams are too, Mes?"

 _"My dreams, huh?"_

"Yeah! I bet you have epic dreams like mine, right?"

 _"Actually, Lukey, I'll be honest with you; I don't have any epic dreams. Just one simple dream."_

"Huh, just one? That's pretty lame, Mes."

 _"Hee hee~ No, it's not, Lukey. I'll tell you why."_ Uh oh, Lucas saw her smiling, and it's like that creepy smile those horror movies have. _"I want to be accepted by a certain someone, but_ _I've been waiting for two years. Just two years, but I just wish you knew how much every second without him is pain for me_ _."_

Lucas didn't really get anything, but it sounded cool. "W-wow, what's gonna happen next?"

 _"I want to make them mine, and_ mine alone _~ I do not want them to leave my side._ Ever _._ _I want them to show me everything that they know, so we may hand-in-hand achieve the true meaning of what life's purpose is. For that,_ _I will reward them with the greatest thing I can offer, and I will make sure that nothing_ and _no one gets in the way of our happy life~"_

Dang, it's like Lucas just listened to that one love-poem his teacher forced him to listen in detention, even though he didn't get all that she said. It's still awesome-sounding, but it's kinda… creepy.

 _"Oh~ Just thinking about it makes me shiver from excitement, Lukey!"_

"Y-yeah! That's great, M-Mes."

She's giggling. _"And do you know the best part, Lucas?"_

"W-what's that, Mes?"

 _ **"My dream is right in front of me. So near. I can almost touch and taste it."**_

O-oh no, something's happening to her.

Weird smile.

Night-black eyes.

Glowing gems.

"M-Mes?" Uh oh, she's just quiet. "U-um, w-what's going on, M-Mes."

 _"Lukey~"_ She looked sad when she looked at him. W-what'd he do, again?

"Ah! Y-yes, M-Mes?"

 _"I really, really love…"_

"Uh, I-I'm not sure what you said there."

Suddenly, her eyes quickly went golden again, and she's falling to the ground!

"K-kyargh! K-kyuki!"

Lucas quickly caught her and softly held her head and small pixie body. Good thing Barry's 'genius plans' made him faster!

"Mes! Y-you alright? Hang in there!"

 _"Lu_ _…_ _Lukey_ _…_ _?"_ she managed to say while taking in deep breaths. _"I_ _…_ _I'm sorry you had_ _…_ _to see that_ _…_ _"_

* * *

Lucas forcefully pushed Mes away. He felt like puking, and he saw that spit was hanging outta his mouth like a drooling herdier, yuck! He spat it out and wiped his mouth. His body also felt itchy. Suddenly, his head felt like it's going places.

Once he got a bit better, he turned to her, who's on the ground and looking at him like she's done something bad.

"Mes!"

 _"Y-yes, Lukey?"_

"What did you do to me? What the heck was that?!" Dangit, she's doing the silent treatment crud. "Fricking answer me, Mes! What the fricking heck was that?!"

 _"Please relax, Lukey!"_ She slowly floated to her, only to be stopped by him. Heck no, she wasn't gonna get near him!

"S-stay back!" Lucas went to the barrier wall and put up his fist at her. "What're you gonna do to me? Wait, no — what _DID_ you do to me?!"

 _"CALM DOWN, LUKEY!"_ she snapped, making him go silent real quickly.

The two had a cowboy-style stare-off for a moment until he went back to being calm. Both of them were real quiet, and they could even hear their breaths. Finally giving up his anger, he broke the ice by speaking up first.

"I'm sorry, Mes. That was… that was pretty stupid of me."

She looked away from him. _"Yeah… I know, right. But, I'm sorry too."_ She faced back and said, _"Look, I'm gonna explain everything now, alright? Just… please listen very well, and know that what I'll be saying'll be the whole truth."_

"Oh… okay, then."

She first explained her 'memory reawakening' plan. She said it's about time that he got to know the deal between them since he's already mature enough for her.

Next was how that 'mind video' was his 'sleeping memories'. She explained that she didn't fully delete his memories since the first time they met. What she did was just let certain memories go into a 'deep sleep', and all she did was 'reawaken' those memories. She added that she wasn't confident in her ability to recover those sleeping memories 'cause she wasn't like her sister, Uxie, and that it's around five or six years ago when she first 'wiped' his memories.

Connecting it to their first meeting six years ago, she started telling the story of how the two first met.

 _"Lukey, on my way back to my abode, I was chased by strange people in weird clothing, and their damned pokémon pummelled me like hell! I should've teleported when I had a chance to. That's why I was injured so badly when I tried to make my getaway. Hell, I couldn't even focus to teleport away! I managed to lose them, and that's—"_

"When I first saw you, right?" he added.

She nodded. _"In that forest over there."_ She pointed across the flower field to the trees behind it.

"I remember now…" His eyes got bigger. "C-can I take the wheel, Mes?"

She put a hand on her chest before nodding. _"It's okay. Go on right ahead."_

"I got lost trying to find Barry in a game of hide-and-seek. Heck, I even lost that time to him. It's fricking embarrassing getting lost because of that _genius_ airhead. Before, I couldn't really remember what the heck happened after that, but now I do…" She looked away and held a tail. "You were that jacked-up pokémon I saw resting by a tree. Then, I saw them coming from the north… I think." She nodded slowly. "You're covered in dirt, cuts, bruises, and all that. Those guys chasing you were crazy!"

 _"Tell me about it. I hated it._ _ **I FUCKING HATED IT**_ _!"_ He didn't even bother to stop her from saying a bad word, knowing that she might snap back. _"Ah, s-sorry, Lukey."_ She massaged her head. _"I said a bad word in front of you."_

"No, it's okay. No worries." He sighed before returning to the story of the first meeting. "You're breathing, pretty heavily, and when we looked at each other for the first time, your eyes really widened! Like, you were like a bug! I was shocked real hard."

She blushed. _"S-stop it, Lukey…"_

"Honestly, your eyes were kinda cute."

Mesprit blushed even harder and hugged her tail tips. _"C-continue your story, Lukey…"_

"Now, where was I…" Lucas snapped his fingers. "Then, you suddenly tried to float away, but failed and slumped over. I could hear those guys more and more clearly, so I carried you on my shoulders and took off in the opposite direction… Right?" She nodded, still blushing. "I kinda knew the place on the back of my head, but it's stupid of me to get lost, too. It's like my sense of where-the-heck-am-I suddenly came back. You were trying to get out of my arms, though. I could still feel the squirming and your weak cries…"

 _"I didn't know at that time. Plus, I was disorientated, okay? And you didn't have to pity me at that time; I was AND am still a legendary pokémon, after all,"_ she replied in an annoyed voice.

He scratched his head at her kinda bratty answer. "Why does it sound like you're blaming me?"

 _"Ah! No, no! I wasn't! I was just, er, confused at that time. I'm really thankful, really! Especially when you cleaned and treated me after we lost those guys…"_ She trailed off at the last part.

"Oh yeah, those wacky dudes just suddenly left after a few moments. Not like today, I knew how to climb trees at that time, and we hid there, right?"

 _"You tried to shut me up, too."_ She rolled her eyes.

"You're moving around like a baby and squeaking 'kyau-kyau-kyaun'. We were trying to hide. Yeah, I had to shut you up!"

Her eyes got big, and her lips were shaking. Maybe his version of her cry was kinda offensive. _"Alright, you win. J-just quit that stupid mimicry."_

"Jeez, you sound ungrateful to me."

 _"H-hey! Six years've passed since I said my thanks!"_

He snickered. "Time doesn't judge, Dad said. Why don't you at least say a 'thank you' now? I _did_ save your butt."

She grumbled at him, and she quietly said 'thank you' with her telepathy while looking away. Oh boy, girls'd act kinda weirdly sometimes.

"So then," he continued, "we climbed down the tree and made our way to the lake. Once we got near the lake, I cleaned you up and applied some ointment I happened to bring along. Mom was right to tell me to bring some just, in case. I remember how I used some tall grass as bandages, like what you did." He smiled at the last part.

 _"Um, Lukey?"_

"Yes, Mes?"

 _"Over there,"_ she pointed to the flowerbed where he met her for today, _"that's where we got to hang out during the first time we met after the treatment. Remember we just talked about stuff 'n' stuff since I wasn't that okay?"_ He nodded. _"We continued hanging out, and we even played some tag and shared secrets after a few meetings! But—"_

"You wiped out my memories for every time we met, ever since the first time, right?" She frowned when he said that. "It's clearer now. You said that you had to rest for a week or so to recover, and you kept on saying 'sorry' every time before wiping my memories out."

She slowly nodded and looked away from him. Hm, maybe he should try to cheer her up, like how Barry'd do it.

"Hey!" he snapped.

She shot her head up. "Kyau!"

He grinned, getting an annoyed pout from her. "Gotcha."

 _"What was that for, Lukey?"_

"What's done's done, so forget about it! Look, I'm gonna make it formal."

 _"What d'you mean, Lukey?"_

He cleared his throat like a gentleman, making her giggle.

 **"I forgive you. I don't care if it's six years or till the End of Times. I'd still forgive what you did, and it's alright."**

He pulled her for another hug and continued, "You were, if I'm right, ordered by your boss. Dad said that drastic stuff'd call for drastic actions, so I understand, kinda. But hey, you're still my friend, Mes."

That warm feeling's flowing in body, but he wasn't annoyed by it anymore. Her tails wrapped around Lucas, too.

 _Okay, I'll be honest: the stuff she said was pretty weird and unbelievable, but she's a legendary pokémon! Well, whatever the heck's going on, she's still my friend!_ He smiled behind her head.

"Ki… Kya… Kyuki…" she cried while sniff;ing. "Kyuki… Kyuki…!"

 _Ugh, now my shirt's gonna get soggy._ Lucas quietly complained.

 _"I heard that, Lukey!"_ she said as she glared at Lucas straight in the eye, but it sounded like she's also joking.

"Ah! Sorry about that, Ms. Lake Guardian."

They both stared at each other before laughing without a care in this world. Mes was really something, and Lucas knew that she and he were gonna be great friends!

Hang on, just time was it already?

"Oh, shoot!" He cut their laughter.

She suddenly grew worried. _"W-what's wrong, Lukey?"_

"I gotta go meet up with Barry! He could be waiting for me, again!"

 _"Oh, right."_ She laughed a bit, but that sounded a bit forced. _"That human kid… You had me worried, Lukey. Don't do that again!"_

She went to tap his forehead repeatedly with her palm, but not so much that it's painful.

"H-hey! Cut it out, Mes!"

 _"Nope, nuh uh! Let me enjoy my time before I dissipate this barrier. You're about to leave, anyways."_ she cheerfully said.

He grumbled and shyly accepted the non-stop of light taps to the forehead. It didn't last long till the barrier was opened up. He forgot that he was leaning on the wall, and he fell to the ground, only to be captured by her psychic strength.

 _"No 'thank you', Lukey?"_ she smugly asked. Dang that little pixie!

"Thank you, oh ever-powerful Guardian of Lake Verity. I am forever in your debt… or something," he said while rolling his eyes.

 _What the heck does 'ever-omnipotent' even mean? Those anime dudes keep on saying that, even Mom…_

 _"Very well, humble Lukey. I shall bless you by making you stand up with my own powers."_

Raising her arm, he slowly stood up. He dusted his clothes and noticed the wet markings of his shirt. Out of the blue, he began to smell it. Hm, it's kinda citrusy, too. Her face grew red when he did, and her tails were acting like they touched electric wires!

 _"Wha-wha-what are you doing?! Why're you sniffing my tears?!"_

"Oh, sorry. It's a habit of mine to sniff things I'm curious about. I thought you already knew it after all these years," he calmly replied, and she pouted at him even more. "And," he added with a smug smile, "your tears smell kinda like you, Ms Smells Like Citrusy Berries."

 _"P-pervert! No one would like you if you do that!"_ she complained.

"I'm not a pervert! Also, I don't really like many people liking me." Suddenly, she just slapped her head and shook it. "Well, whatever. I've gotta get going." He turned around and started running. "Thanks again for everything up to today!"

"Kyuki! Kyaun!"

"Yeah?" He looked back to see her floating to him.

 _"Thank you, too. Thank you so much! For being my friend, for being understanding, and all of 'em! Thank you!"_

He smiled at her. "Yeah, yeah. You're welcome. Look, I gotta go—"

 _"Slow down, slow down! There's something very important I forgot to tell you, too. Like, very important."_

"What's up?"

 _"Don't tell anyone, even Barry or your mother, about EVERYTHING that happened today between us. Okay? Please! I'm not gonna be erasing your memories anymore, so I'm really gonna get chewed out like hell!"_

"I told you already, I can keep it a secret! You can, again, count on me!"

She smiled, knowing that she could rely on him. _"Thanks, Lukey. But there's one more, and it's something very serious."_ Her telepathic voice felt more menacing.

"T-that is?"

 _"I could feel that something bad's gonna happen in Twinleaf, like bad news. Don't go sharing this to anyone, and please stay safe this evening."_

He gulped, but it sounded like weird gossip. "Really?"

 _"Lukey, I'm a legendary pokémon! I know these things and premonitions, so you gotta believe in me!"_ She put her hands on his shoulder. _"Tell you what, I'll be watching over the town later this evening, but be careful as well, alright? And keep all of these a secret!"_

Okay, he was flooding with all this info, but if there's one thing he had to do, it's how he had to shut up for his special friend.

He also felt that he needed to find his airhead friend. "Y-yes. I got it, Mes. Now, can I go?"

 _"Um, how about a hug first?"_

"Oh, alright, Mes. Come he — argh!"

She rushed to his neck and embraced it. He returned it, like the _gentleman_ he is.

 _"Be careful, alright, Lukey?"_

"Yeah, yeah. I will." He quickly got off her and ran to the lake exit. He waved his hand from behind.

"Kyau—n!" She cried before a sound of something teleporting reached Lucas' ears.

* * *

Lucas was running to the exit, but seems like luck really hated him that day. He tripped and fell on the ground. Dangit, fricking tree roots!

"Argh, not again!" Well, at least he didn't get any scratches.

"Hey, careful!" a voice came from the exit.

Later, he stood up with some assistance. He looked to see the man who helped him up. The man looked a little taller than his mother, and he wore that black suit-and-tie for business dudes he saw on television. But, what really got his attention was the man's pointed hairstyle.

"Are you alright? You should watch where you're going next time, boy," the man said.

"Y-yes, sir. I will, next time."

Lucas dusted his clothes, but he's getting scared knowing that a stranger was in front of him. He's in a black, too!

Meanwhile, the businessman asked a question. "Boy, do you know the way around this lake?"

 _S-should I answer this guy? He seems creepy,_ he thought.

Lucas just kept quiet and continued staring at the mysterious businessman as he continued dusting his shorts.

"Oh, I'm sorry, boy. I think you're afraid of me. Here," the man knelt down and pulled a card from his suit, "it's my card. Don't worry, I'm not a bad guy from the streets."

The man smiled at him. Lucas looked at the card and shyly accepted it. Looking at it, he first saw some numbers, but what shocked him was the name it had:

 **Cyrus A. Garak**

What's more was the logo: a golden 'U' and 'I' circled by some comet-star thing, over the name of the company:

 **Ultimate Infinity Inc.**

Holy crud, this guy wasn't just some regular Joe off the streets! He knew very well who this man was, and if no one knew him in Sinnoh, they're probably a guy from outta here or a Sinnohese-wannabe. In fact, every single Sinnohese knew him, and maybe some other guys in the United Regions.

"N-no way! You're the—"

"Shh! Keep it down, boy!" Mr. Cyrus hushed and patted Lucas' hair. "Few know that I'm here." Dangit, if Barry were here, he'd be fanboying over Mr. Cyrus. That guy would die for an autograph! "I'll tell you what, if you're quiet about me, you'll get a genuine signature from me. You'd like that, right?" Mr. Cyrus asked with a smile.

Lucas nodded like there's no tomorrow. "Mr. Cyrus!" he added. "You're, like, the greatest creator of gadgets and stuff in Sinnoh. I'm really-really-really-really honoured to meet you!"

Remembering that magazine he picked up somewhere, Mr. Cyrus was renowned for his inventing genius. He started from humble beginnings, and started a small city business that was soon recognised by the region. Some of his creations, especially the U-atch (it's said like 'watch', but a lotta people say it as 'you-watch'), reached other regions like Kanto and Hoenn. He's even given the plaque of 'National Innovative Gadget' by the regional governor last year. Hah, those Korean and US gadgets don't have anything cool like theirs!

Mr. Cyrus laughed. "Honour is all mine. Thank you, really. I'm running a tight schedule, though," he checked his watch, "so it would do me a lot if you answer my question." Lucas nodded. "Might I ask where the best spot to view the lake is? If you don't mind." He took out a pen and another small card with something written at the back.

Lucas' fanboy side was gonna blow up if he didn't keep it down. "Um-um. Just take a left when you see a path going left from here. Then, keep straight till you hit a dead-end. There're two dead-ends, so take a right turn for each. You'll be at the top of a mini-cliff." Lucas shivered, remembering those two staraptors.

"Alright. Thank you, boy. Here." Mr. Cyrus handed him two cards with his autograph. Two! Fricking! Autographs! "For your help and troubles."

Lucas shivered in excitement. "Oh, thank you, Sir! I'll — ah, Sir!"

"Yes, boy?"

"D-did you get all of my directions? Do you wanna recap or—"

"I'll be fine," Cyrus assured and laughed. "I couldn't have started my company if it wasn't for my brain."

"Okay then, Sir."

"I must get going now, boy. Till we meet again." Mr. Cyrus stood up and began walking towards the lake. "Ah, yes. Boy," Mr. Cyrus called out while he was still near Lucas.

"Yes, Sir?!" Lucas energetically answered.

"Do you want to be a pokémon trainer once you're near your 20's?"

"Y-yes, I do." Well, he didn't really think through his future plans, but that's one of them.

"Hm, how about your first name?"

"Lucas, Sir."

Suddenly, Mr. Cyrus took out a small notebook and wrote something. Oh boy, oh boy! Was he writing his name? "Do you have another friend who does? Just one more, though."

"Barry, Sir."

"I see." Mr. Cyrus closed it and put it back. "If you must know, there's a secret to the corner of both those cards. You may give one to this 'Barry' friend of yours. Now, I really must get going. Goodbye."

And with that, Mr. Cyrus walked away. Hm, Lucas swore he heard him murmuring something. _'Two are okay'? What did he mean by 'two'?_

Carefully stuffing the cards in his pocket, he continued on his way out. When he'd gotten out, he'd meet with that airhead friend of his, maybe with a 'thud' if he bumped into him. Well, if Barry's gonna see the card, he'll definitely shut the heck up!

* * *

 **Guest No 1: Indeed, they apparently do. They might get more pressure out of it, so it would appear that they have it worse. Picture this, you have to maintain the Earth while doing probably a 2–5 page report even for ordinary day every single day. That is, if they do ^_^**

 **Guest No 2: Yes, yes it is.**

 **Anon Omega: Sounds like it, indeed. Vent out your anger by anticipating whoever/whatever she is. :P**

 **Greninjaten99: Indeed. It was all an act (or was it?! XD). Find out soon, and thanks for sticking around! Hope you have a great day, too!**


	10. 1-10: Safe & Sound

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 _ **Last edited on: 15th of May 2020**_

* * *

 _N-no way, he's—!_

"And that's the news for the latest manslaughter in Canalave City last night. Next up, UI CEO Cyrus Garak plans to host a race to a hundred million dollars in—"

The news was cut short when the screen blacked out at the sound of a beep.

All was normal when Lucas returned home a few hours ago until the news of his neighbour's, Tyson's, passing aired. Lucas had been used to seeing news of murders and other grave crimes aired on TV, mostly 'cause his dad said it's for 'manning-up in the face of harsh news'. Hearing the news but with a friend in it was _really_ different for him. Dangit, dangit! He's also the victim there.

 _Dad… just why the heck does stuff like this happen? Dangit, I really wish you were here…_

Lucas was both shocked and scared. Shocked, at how something this heck-a bad could happen to his neighbour, and how Mes could've expected it. Scared, at how that 'something bad' could happen to him if he wasn't careful. Should he even be going out, anyway?

"I can't believe Tyson… oh my God…" his mom said, and a worried look was seen very clearly on her face.

 _Our neighbour was…_

As what the reporter said, it was the murder of Lucas' neighbour, good friend, and senior, Tyson, by some crazy mine worker from Iron Island.

From what Lucas could understand, the worker got the boot 'cause he stole a lotta materials from the Iron Island mine. Then, he got really mad and crazy. After getting a boat going to Canalave City in the night, he fricking stabbed seven guys before being caught by the cops. Seven _fricking_ guys! Five were jacked up but sent to the hospital, and two passed away. Tyson was one of them…

The two people who passed away were Tyson and this Lysandra person. Tyson, last name Mardes, was 18 years old, and he's in Grade 12, also a pokémon trainer from Twinleaf Town. The other was a 17-year-old girl, with the same year level as Tyson. Her name was… Lysandra Cachemar, from the Unova region in the States. The news said that both of them passed away 'cause of b-blood loss.

 _Oh man, oh man. What if there's a crazy killer in Twinleaf? What if they're in the forest? Aw man, I gotta thank Barry for getting my butt in Twin—_

Suddenly, a clicking sound came from behind Lucas.

"Waah! Mom!" he cried. He quickly hid behind their sofa.

"Lu, shh. It's just your mom," his mom said. Her voice always made him relaxed. "I'm just locking the door. I'm here, I'm here. Don't worry."

Lucas slowly knelt on the sofa. The next thing Lucas saw was his mother locking the windows and spreading their curtains. "M-Mom? Are we gonna be okay?"

Mom smiled. "Yes. We're going to be fine. Are your windows upstairs locked, too?"

"I-I did, Mom. I'll just double-check up—"

"No! I'll do it," Mom cut him. "Watch the door, alright? And tell me if anyone's knocking," she requested before going upstairs. Lucas slowly nodded while shivering.

He grabbed a nearby pillow and hugged it while lying on the sofa. His eyes were tearing up, but he fought them back.

 _Just what the heck's going on? Tyson…_

Tyson was one of Lucas' good friends. Heck, he's also crazy smart, book- and street-smart. Lucas would even call him his home-teacher, teaching stuff like math tricks and even this 'purpose driven-life' he'd say. It made Lucas wonder why he'd even go so quickly just like that.

 _No, remember what Dad would say: eyes forward, Lucas!_

At that moment, Lucas felt his pocket vibrating, making him jump in fear, only to find out it's just his cellphone. Picking it up, 'Barry' was shown on the screen.

If he's gonna answer it, maybe he'd have his eardrums wrecked by his screams, but he had nothing else to do. Also, he needed someone to talk to.

He clicked a button on the left and began with a soft, "Hello?"

"L-Lucas?!" Barry screamed over the phone. "It's gotten really quiet in Twinleaf…"

"Don't shout. I can hear you loud and clear. What's up?"

The conversation droned on about their neighbour's recent passing and about how the older people in their hometown seem to be overreacting. Well, at least Lucas calmed down while having a nice talk with Barry.

"Even my mama's locking every door and window in the house! Crazy. Right, Lucas?"

"Yeah. Mom's doing the same thing here." Lucas sighed. "Does this mean we can't go out and play anymore?"

"Nah, that's… bullcrap," Barry whispered the last word, "and I don't think this'll change my regular Snowpoint trips!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you had relatives there, so you'd visit there almost every month or so, right?"

"Yup! Kinda wish Papa was here right now, though. Always busy with this and that…"

"Same…" Now wasn't the time for Lucas to be sad. In fact, he's thankful to Barry for calling him up to brighten up his gloomy night. He never said it to him, though.

"Anyways!" Barry shouted over the phone, again. "Classes're gonna start soon, and we'd better get ready! Also, I'm gonna visit Snowpoint again this Saturday."

"Good for you. I'm holed up in my house till the world explodes." Lucas laughed. "Also, you're kinda riled up to go to Snowpoint City every month."

"Well, duh! Lake Acuity's there."

"Huh, how weird."

"Whaddaya mean, Lucas?"

"How you thought of the Lake before your relatives."

"Ah, crap!" Barry cussed. "Er, I, um, yeah! I like my relatives, too!"

Lucas raised an eyebrow in suspicion at his response, but he let it slide with a puff of air. "Whatever, Barry."

"Wait-wait! It's not like there's some…" A pause then happened between the boys' conversation.

"Some… what, Barry?"

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, yes — ah, Mama's calling me about my room. Night!" With a beep, the call ended. Lucas has always been used to Barry cutting his call. But just then, he sounded like he's hiding something.

 _Nah, he's always hiding something. He's probably gonna make a joke, as he usually does when he acts like that. I guess right now it's gonna be some girl he met in Snowpoint, and then he's gonna joke about them being boyfriend-and-girlfriend, then maybe them kissing in Lake Acuity._

"I know your tricks, Barry," Lucas said. He's also been a victim to Barry's make-believe stories.

"Lu!" Mom called out to him.

"Yes, Mom?"

Mom was going down the stairs. "Did anyone knock on the door? Also, whom were you talking to?"

"No one, Mom, and that was Barry."

"I see. It's time to sleep now, Lu."

Lucas looked at their wall clock; the shorter hand pointed between seven and eight, while the other pointed to six. Even though he didn't wanna sleep yet, it felt like his body's telling him 'go fricking sleep!'.

 _What a day. It's almost the start of classes, too. It's just in a week._

"Yes, Mom. Just let me change and brush my teeth first."

One thing Lucas didn't like was how his mom would always tell him to sleep as early as 19:30. It really felt like he's stopped from staying up late for God-knows-what. There's even one time when he overheard his mom watching some late night comedy movie at around 22:00. Still, he knew that she'd give him the 'I'm-your-mom' or the 'don't-give-me-that-attitude' answer if he butted heads with her.

"Well, aren't you obedient." Mom smiled. "Alright. I just opened two mini-windows for the wind to come into your room, okay? Good night, Lu." His mom pulled him in for a kiss to the forehead.

"Yeah… thanks, Mom. Good night, too."

Mom went to her room downstairs after turning off the kitchen lights, while Lucas went to his bedroom. He wondered why Mom left the living room lights on, again.

Lucas frowned and grumbled. _Must be that comedy series, again…_ He knew better than to talk back to his mom about her… what's that word… hypocrisy, so he just let it slide.

As Lucas went upstairs, the thoughts of his neighbour's passing was still in his head, keeping him awake even though his body's tired.

"Oh boy," he murmured to himself.

 _It's really scary… and strange. I guess… this is what it feels like if a friend suddenly goes away like that._

He frowned, but he still remembered what Mes told him. She promised that she'd do something about it, and it was enough to make him relax. Soon, he started smiling.

 _I hope Mes is watching over Twinleaf tonight. I know she can protect us._

Reaching his room, he felt that something's watching him. He couldn't really say how, but something was _definitely_ watching him. He quickly looked left and right . This didn't scare him, since he had an idea as to _who_ it was.

 _Thanks, Mes,_ he thought and smiled. Something in his mind seemed to 'spark up'. Maybe that's her reply.

He didn't wanna sleep yet, and he just sat by the locked windows and enjoyed the outside view while remembering all that happened today. Yeah, he was pooped to the max after today's wacky adventures. The space blue view paired with the nearly-full moon kinda made him feel a little less tired.

 _Let's see… It's always nice to look back at a day's events if eventful, Dad would say._

Just then, Munch quickly came into his mind. _Oh man, I totally forgot about the lil' guy! Poor Munch's wrecked by Mes, too… I think I should let him out and rest with me, for tonight. A little bonding, like those on TV, should be okay._

Grabbing the small poké ball from his desk, he clicked it twice and aimed it to the floor. The ball grew big and shot a beam of red light, turning into Munch. Surprisingly, Munch was lying asleep when he was brought out.

"Um, Munch?" All he got were snores and sleep-grumbles. So, Lucas knelt down and rubbed the fur on his belly. Munch began to open his eyes with some snores along it. "Hey, buddy. You can sleep on my bed if you wanna."

The munchlax sat up and got on his feet slowly. Blinking his eyes, the pokémon got a look at Lucas' room. Munch seemed to be pretty interested as well.

"Hey, Munch, can I ask you a question?"

Munch nodded and scratched it back with its eyes closed. Strangely, it didn't look like the earlier battle bothered him. Lucas had to ask his pokémon about it, even though it might not really get him.

"Do you remember what happened before? At the lake?"

Munch shook his head. _Wait, what? That's weird._

"Wait, wait. You don't even know that you got knocked out a while ago? That you got blasted by a psychic attack?" Lucas tried to say this as slow as possible for his pokémon.

All Munch did was scratch his back again and yawned while shaking his head. Well, even if Munch understood it or not, Lucas took that as a 'no'. Thing is, it's strange. He didn't wanna ask anything else 'cause his pokémon looked so sleepy.

 _I guess Mes did something to his mind… Oh well, maybe she might get 'chewed out' if a normal pokémon knew about her._

"Oh yeah, wanna sleep together, Munch? The bed's soft and all," Lucas offered.

He just got another yawn. Munch proceeded to lie on the wooden floor. Huh, that looked like another 'no' from Munch.

 _He's… a deep sleeper. I guess those encyclopaedias don't lie after all._

Lucas returned to the window and looked out once more to the view. A few moments later, his brain told him to crash back at his bed.

Oh yeah, meeting Mes was another thing. He imagined that if Mes never 'reawakened' his memories, he'd be very different right now. With these reawakened memories from the past, his mind felt weaker. What else could he do but to lie down and sleep early? Maybe getting enough rest was really what he needed.

 _She really is hyperactive and annoying sometimes, but eh._

Even with that tough pickle of a test, he was still thankful to Mes for the friendship they've had for around six years. Those memories that flooded back to him gave him a wacky guess, that maybe Mes was kinda tired deep inside for making a fake personality towards him each time they met until now.

 _I wonder why she'd make all these a big deal for her, though?_ Lucas twirled some hair strands while looking up the twinkling night sky. _Ah, I'm too tired. Oh well, maybe she's just overacting, as usual._ He smiled at the last word.

He yawned after. Checking the digital clock, it's a few minutes after 19:30.

"I guess I should change then brush my teeth," Lucas muttered. "I think, maybe this night's sleep's gonna be one of the best. I mean, this day was just _heck-a_ awesome."

He smiled and quietly pulled a nearby drawer open, not much to wake his sleeping partner. Then, a random idea pinged into Lucas.

"Mes?" he called out to her. "I'm not sure if you're listening, but are you **crazy**?"

A few seconds passed, but no reply was made. Lucas sighed. "Well, I'm not in some TV series. Guess I better get changed now…"

* * *

 _Is that how you think of me, Lukey…?_

"This'll do — good for one night, maybe till noon. Now, I can be alerted if anyone suspicious gets within range," a pink-hued figure muttered.

Ensuring the protective barrier was set up against any intruders, Mesprit stopped surveilling the area and each house and store with her clairvoyance.

After returning her Lukey's memories back, she couldn't help but feel the need to _de-stress_ herself. Why? She thought that maybe it was because their relationship from now on could be different. She might not even get to be his partner, her lifelong goal since that fateful day.

After all, the secret of six years had now been revealed, and she had just realised that what she did _might've_ been an act of direct disobedience to the Hall. All the more did she need to _de-stress_ herself.

"Damn, took longer than usual. No one evil-looking to hurt _my_ Lukey around the area, like that _one_ earlier afternoon. Now, my Lukey's safe and sound." Her face glistened with sweat under the moonlight. "Should've practiced my powers more often. Or maybe, it could've been because of a while ago…" She looked up in thought and coiled her tails.

"Argh!" Mesprit knocked on her head and wiped her sweat. "Overthinking makes my head spin! Damn it!"

"But… Oh, Lukey~" Her appendages began to droop, and her tails yielded their strength.

 _Let me see what you're up to now…_

She moved to inspect his house, and the image of the living room was projected into her head. She saw his mother turning the television on, while he was preparing his night clothes upstairs. Her face blushed at the sight.

 _I-is he gonna—?!_

She had an idea as to what he was going to do. Her body quickly dematerialised into nothingness and reappeared inside the lake cavern. It was dark, but it didn't bother her since she knew the layout of her abode. Plus, she needed her place to be dark.

 _I can't miss this out… I can't. But, is this…?_

Her nightly routine was her guilty pleasure, stemming from the events of six years prior. She tried fighting it back, but to no avail. Moreover, she felt like she was a floating corpse; it was just days, or even hours before she'd get caught red-handed.

 _No. It's fine! Lukey doesn't know anything about my feelings… yet… And I'm definitely gonna get judged by the confidante, or Boss._ Her eyes sharpened, then turned forlorn.

Her breathing grew deeper as she sat near a wall and rested her back against it. Her tail-tips sat on her abdomen. With a wave of a hand, a circular two-dimensional screen of pink hue appeared in front of her. It showed the bedroom of her Lucas and the boy placing his clothes on the bed. Her face grew redder and began drooling as she rubbed the tips of her tails along her neck.

 _Oh… yes~ My favourite time of the day~ And I don't care anymore…_

The projection zoomed towards the boy, showing her Lucas changing his attire for sleeping, revealing much of his warm ivory tone — to the sprite-pokémon's delight. Some scars were seen, but neither were they a hindrance to his appearance, nor did they discourage Mesprit at the moment.

 _That slim build… paired with the warm complexion~ Oh, Lukey… I want you to hug me again~_

As she thought of that, she started hugging her tail-tips more furiously, imagining them to be her Lukey. Unintelligible muffles resounded under her palm. Instinctively, she suckled her own thumb and muttered his lovely name repeatedly.

Words can't describe how much she needed him to complete the emptiness deep inside her. She wanted to be renewed through him and forget the past that clung to her soul.

And her 'sisters', if she still considered them as that… No, she just despised that one _liar_ and _know-it-all_. That one can just go burn up in flames after those _lies_ she's fed Mesprit. Az's okay, but she's just too lazy and a rule-breaker sometimes.

Dammit, all she cared was for him to love her back. She wanted him to be safe in her arms, and she wanted him to free her from her past and that one _scum_ of a sister.

And she had all the night to think about him coming closer to her~

"S-say it… Tell me… that you… _love_ me~!" she breathed between gasps and with eyes shut. "L-Lukey… tell me… those… _words_ …!"

 _I-I'll say it… if_ _you_ _say it, Lukey~_

"S-say it, Lukey… Please…" Something similar to a surge of electricity coursed through her body. "L-Lukey, please—"

 **"I love you, Mes."**

And that was it. Everything flushed out of her system into a puddle. She didn't care where the voice came from, nor who blurted it out. She didn't care if someone was nearby. She didn't care if someone was watching her right now. She had to yell it out; let the world know her six-year secret — a secret she tried to hide with all her blood, sweat, and tears. She was at the breaking point, and all it needed was this little push. She knew what she heard. It was _him_.

She was more than certain that it wasn't her imagination.

It sounded like his voice. No, it _was_ her Lukey's voice. She knew it had to be him who said it. Who else would say it besides her Lucas? The emotion, the pitch, and the talking speed — it all matched with his. He was _meant_ for her.

All else was secondary. All that mattered was that _her Lukey_ said those words.

Her lovesick personality took over her. Her dilated eyes flew open, and she began laughing maniacally and sweating furiously at the response. Strange enough, her eyes were welling with tears. Her tail movements were now vigorous as she staggered to float.

"Oh, y-yes~! Yes! YES! I love you too, Lukey~! I love you with all my heart~! You don't know how much I had to go through! I've loved you since you saved me! I love how you're gentle! I love how you're kind! I love that you deal well with my shitty attitude! I love your hands and fingers on my skin! I can't hide it anymore! I can't live without you! My century-long life is nothing without you! Fuck my status as a legendary! Fuck it all! Stay with me! Don't leave me! Take me! Take me with you! Make me your mate! Make me yours! I'm nothing without you! Lukey, MY Lukey! My _ONE_ and _ONLY_ Lukey!"

 **"I'M IN LOVE WITH YOU! I LOVE YOU, LUKEY! FUCK M—"**

"That's all I needed to hear, Mes," a familiar voice broke her monologue. "I've always known you felt that way to that human boy."

Mesprit gasped as if she was grabbing for her last breath of air. It's _her_ voice! "No… No-no-no-no-NO!" She grabbed two of her appendages and wailed to herself.

"I do hope you remember, that imitating a human voice is very much _easy_ for us psychic-type Hall members. Wouldn't you agree, dear _sister_?" A dark silhouette about her size emerged from the darkness. Two orbs glowed a bright crimson red in the dark.

 _This… this is a dream! Yes, Darky must be doing it again!_ Mesprit giggled nervously while clutching her appendages.

"This is no dream, you know?" the silhouette replied to her thoughts, stopping Mesprit's delusion. "Come on, Mes. I make my way from the Hall to the Verity Cavern just to see your pitiful state? You're better than this."

The pink sprite-pokémon's expression turned spiteful. "N-no… way. You," Mesprit weakly pointed at the silhouette, "you fucking eavesdropper, _Yux_!"

"That's no way to address your _superior_ , **Mes** ," the silhouette rebutted. A third red light shone, revealing a yellow colouration around it. It's as if the three lights formed the points of a triangle in the dark. Soon, the figure raised what seemed to be an arm and summoned a dandelion sphere at the end.

"Does it always have to be this dark when you _play_ with your lonesome self?" it asked. The dandelion sphere moved to what seemed to be the centre of the area and illuminated the entire cavern. "That's better."

 _I'll kill her. I kill her right now!_

 _T-that's enough, Mes. You know that you're no match for her, and it's best to—_

"SHUT UP!" Mesprit yelled at herself. Her anger took over her, and her normal persona was replaced.

"Am I even talking to the Mes I know, or is it one of your personalities?" the visitor asked.

The distinctive pool of water on the ground was now visible, and the visitor had finally revealed herself, bearing a build similar to Mesprit's but bearing a unique dandelion yellow head likened to a shell of a kabuto. The visitor's eyes were also closed, but Mesprit knew better than to force her eyes open.

"Yu… **UXI—E**!"

The expression on Mesprit's aggravated, and her now-black eyes began to glow along her gems. She was hovering over the ground, but her levitation was laboured as seen by her inability to float still.

"Like what I said, _Mesprit No. 100601_ , that is _no_ way to address your superior," Yux repeated with arms crossed. "Or, do you plan on challenging me?"

"SHUT UP! GO TO HELL, BITCH!"

Mesprit flew herself towards Yux with glowing hands and with genuine intent to kill. Even her eyes and gems glowed furiously.

"Do not," Yux partially opened her golden eyes, "make me repeat myself, Mes!"

 _Shit, she's gonna see through my memories!_

Mesprit quickly teleported behind Yux. Just as when Mesprit was about to punch Yux with an imbued fist, her target disappeared, and a rain of white bullets showered on her. The damage caused her to lose balance and land on the puddle facedown.

A voice came from above. "That's enough, Mes. I don't want to hurt you."

 **"YOU BITCH!"**

Mesprit teleported behind Yux one more time and attempted another imbued punch, only to be stopped by an invisible wall. Yux didn't turn around, but the sound of repeated thumping and thudding made it clear that blows were being blocked by the wall.

"We psychic-types are meant for long-range and strategic battle, Mes. Please, give it up." Yux advised with that fucking annoying 'caring' voice.

 **"FUCK YOU!"**

The sound of teleportation once resounded, and Yux faced upwards to confront her enraged sister's attack from above. Smirking, the dandelion sprite-pokémon pointed her finger in the form of a pistol and shot a pressurised Psybeam to her Mesprit's forehead gem.

"That should — what?!"

Instead of the beam bursting on impact with the gem and knocking her sister out, it passed through Mesprit's head and burst on impact with a stalactite of the cavern. The 'Mesprit' she attacked poofed, revealing the debris about to crash on Yux.

The sprite-pokémon moved the barrier around her over her head as the rocky debris rained on her.

"A Double Team clone, huh? Uorgh!"

 _There!_

A punch to the cheek cut Yux's comment. Blow after blow, Mesprit continued striking her sister with psychic-filled fists out of spite. The enraged pokémon enjoyed the sensation of harming the one who walked in on her, and it mattered not whom she was battling.

To her, anyone who got in between her and her Lucas was **dead in her eyes**.

 **"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, UXI—E!"**

Still continuing her barrage of fists, Yux was rendered paralysed. Mesprit decided to end the ever-droning battle right here and now; her remaining strength was channelled unto her final fist, as it glowed a mauve hue. Her other hand was focused on holding Yux by the neck. Surprisingly, Uxie didn't seem to be fazed at all, despite her badly bruised face.

 **"EAT THIS!"**

The fist was aimed at her sister's forehead gem, which was fatal with enough power. Alas, Mesprit didn't hold back and launched her attack to the forehead gem as she released the grip of her other hand, sending Yux flying to the wall of Mesprit's cavern.

"How do you like that, you fucking know-it-all?! Don't fuck with me, or my Lukey!"

A smoke covered the area where Yux crashed, and the illumination of the cavern dimmed out, maybe because of Yux's state right now. What's certain was that smartass had to be knocked out, or killed in the process.

 _W-wait a minute, 'killed'?_

 _Yeah, that bitch deserved it._

 _Hey, snap out of it! Look at what you've done!_

Mesprit's eyes returned to normal, and her head began aching. "W-what I've done?" Her face was beginning to show mortification when she looked at her sister. "Ah… Aaah! Y-Yux!"

 _Oh no… Oh no-oh no oh-no oh-no!_

Mesprit finally realised what she had done to her own sister. She quickly floated to where Yux landed and summoned a pink ball of light, only to see her body lying against the crater of the wall, a forehead gem broken beyond recognition, half-open eyes, and mouth. Yux's once-golden eyes were now faded, and the area around her was stained.

"Y-Yux? H-hey, Yux? Chief Uxie? C-c'mon, stop joking around…" Mesprit whispered as she tried shaking her sister's body, only to get a response of silence. "C-c'mon, Chief Uxie. I-I'm calling you with respect now. S-stop joking, please! I might be punished because of mischief again, ha ha ha…"

To no avail, Mesprit shook her sister's body in an attempt to wake up. Her body felt cold, and her faded eyes were motionless. Putting her hand on Yux's chest, it wasn't beating.

 _D-did I just… kill my sister…?_

Mesprit began giggling, and from there, she forced more and more laughter while holding her sister's body.

 _I… killed Yux! I did it… I really did it!_

"I… killed my sister? Nice joke! Good show, Yux! I bet Az's gonna freak out! How about we stop this act, huh, Yux? Huh, Yux? Huh, Yux?" She continued murmuring the same thing until she began crying. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… Yux… Oh my God… Oh my God… I'm very very sorry, Yux…"

Despite her incessant apologies, Mesprit knew that those would never reach her, but her emotions suddenly spiked to a point where she couldn't keep it inside.

 **"I'M SORRY, UXIE! UWA—H! PLEASE COME BACK! PLEASE COME BACK!"**

 _No… Please, talk to me, Uxie! Uxie!_

"TALK ME, YUX! TALK TO ME! DON'T JUST LEAVE ME LIKE THAT!"

 _W-well, whaddaya know, I went a bit too far._

"SHUT UP!" Mesprit screamed at the voice in her head.

She was basically screaming in her cavern, but her screeches weren't enough to get through her sister's corpse. She continued screaming her apologies for a few more minutes in the dimly illuminated cavern, until her voice box strained its usage. The scenery then bore a morbid silence.

 _Shit… shit… shit…_

 _You should have remained calm, but what's done is done._

Mesprit was more than a walking corpse; her very existence and trace was to be _entirely_ removed from the face of the world — universe, even. As such, Mesprit was sure that a punishment so severe was waiting for her when Mew would visit her abode to collect her nonexistent daily report.

She set Yux's body on the floor. There was no way out of this. The truth had to make itself known in some way, and not even her Healing Wish can repair the damages done.

Mesprit rested her back on the crater made from when her sister crashed into the wall. She stared into the pink ball of light with emasculated eyes. All she could do was look at her shaking hands. Her vision was beginning to fade at the sight of it.

 _I'm… a_ murderer _, right?_

 _Yes… you are one, Mesprit… You murdered your sister out of pure rage… Yes… I'm an enraged murderer… I'm a murderer…_

"I'm a murderer," Mesprit articulated.

 _You hear me? I'm a murderer… Mom, Dad, I'm a murderer… Az, I'm a murderer… Mew, I'm a murderer… Bii, I'm a murderer… Keldy, Etta, I'm a murderer… Cie, Hoo, I'm a murderer… Koko, Lele, I'm a murderer… Boss, I'm a murderer…_

"Lukey… don't… come near me… Lukey… don't come… near me… Stay away from me…"

 _I'm… a_ _murderer_ _._

 _No. It's not yet the end. It's most likely—_

 _Shut up, you. Just look at our sister…_

 _Have it your way, then. Yux is far more capable than that._

That personality can just go shut up, even though that was supposed to be the _mature_ one. What else can she do but accept the facts? The Hall was probably alerted know, and it felt like every second passing was silent torture.

 _At least I met you, Lukey…_ _Even if it was just for six years… My life felt complete… You brought me out of my suffering… That's why I love you…_

She cleaned herself to at least look a bit presentable when the authorities came to her cavern. Maybe she could turn herself in just to make everything go faster.

No, not yet.

She needed to look at him one last time before she faced the Hall to be judged. She brought up the same circular projection of his bedroom; he was seen to be fast asleep. Mesprit zoomed in closer to get a look at his sleeping face and proceeded to cry her heart out again.

"Lukey… Oh, Lukey… I'm such a sick, sick pokémon… I need to be punished… I don't deserve you…" she muttered while sobbing.

 _I guess… the end is now—_

 **"Really, Mes, you are, and have always been,** _ **melodramatic**_ **."**

"If someone were to live under the same roof as you," the voice continued, "they'd have to have a high tolerance towards your sporadic behaviour, just like me."

Mesprit quickly shut the projection off. "W-what…?"

 _Is that—?!_

 _I told you so._

 **"WHAT THE HE—LL?!"** Mesprit screamed. She immediately used her source of light to scan her surroundings. Unfortunately for her, her sister was nowhere to be found. In fact, the 'body' of her sister was still on the ground, the same as before.

"Ah… ha ha ha! G-good one, Yux! I-I didn't… You didn't…! Ah… ha…" Mesprit's giddiness trailed off, and her shock prevailed.

"Before you turn into a wild pokémon, take a closer look at the one you sent flying."

Mesprit quickly went to the body that she punched like there was no tomorrow. Looking closely, it suddenly transformed into one of the stalactites that fell from earlier. D-dangit, it seemed like liars know how to cast Substitution pretty well!

"Behind you."

Mesprit excitedly turned around, but only saw the crater formed from a while ago. She pouted and grumbled at that. Maybe that Yux's planning something!

"Kyaun!" she yelled when something extremely cold grabbed her tails. Looking back, she was more than relieved to see her sister's face. Even though it was her signature poker face plastered on her, Mesprit couldn't help but shoot towards her sister.

" **YUUUU—"**

Instead of flying into a familial embrace, she was greeted with a slap to her face, causing her to snap out of her wild emotions.

"Just when will your maturity blossom, Mes?" Mesprit just remained quiet with her mouth agape. Yux sighed at her silence. "For your information, I was summoned here just to escort you to the Hall, and that entire ploy a moment ago was just a little test for you. Before I do send you there, though, I have something to tell you, formally."

Uh oh. Mesprit was screwed. She did not like where this was going.

"Mesprit No. 100601, I hereby charge you for breaching the Hall's rule on identity disclosure."

* * *

 **Guest No 1: Neither. He just visited the area :P**

 **Mallory S. Nocturne: Yes, in my headcanon for this story. He's just a regular businessman running a very successful business in the Sinnoh region (Edit: In the eyes of the regular Sinnohese folk). Thanks for the compliment, I really appreciate it :D And yes, soon (depending on my mood in the storyline XD jkjk)**

 **Greninjaten99: Yes, yes. Well, I believe that everyone, no matter which universe, should have a defining quirk. Oh, don't worry just yet :P And thanks for the compliment :D Cheers for sticking to my story since the beginning~**

 **Anon Omega: You mean the confidante? Well, I guess you could say that her identity is predictable.**


	11. 1-11: Prelude to Judgement

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 _ **Last edited on: 16th of May 2020**_

* * *

"I still can't believe it, Dear," a sky-blue feline pokémon said. "Why would you even _attack_ your sister?"

Mesprit suddenly looked at Mew with worried eyes. "C-Chief! I-I-I-I—"

"—ay-ay- _Hay nako_. Stop your worrying and answer me, Dear," Mew demanded and massaged her head.

After she got the news from Yux, Mesprit was teleported by her sister to the Terminal of the Hall in Mt. Coronet. She was then escorted, with a _bit_ of resistance, to the Terminal's Waiting Lobby for the Judged, the anterior chamber of the Room for the Judged. When Yux was about to leave, Mesprit called out to her, but she immediately teleported after. Soon, a partially-irritated Mew appeared before a disheartened Mesprit.

As with the other Terminals of the Hall scattered throughout Earth, each one bore a Room for the Judged. Here, this was where a member of the Hall would be judged — the defendant — for whatever the complaint or case filed against them. This was so if the dispute was grave or required further deliberation.

No viewing gallery was present within the Room for the Judged; hence, all judgements and deliberations made were in _secrecy_. Only the plaintiff, defendant, barristers, and the judge were to be present in the Room. A jury and some witnesses would sometimes be included.

Currently, Mesprit and her chief were in the Waiting Lobby for the Judged. It wasn't a well-decorated room, in Mesprit's eyes. The place was painted white and had a dispenser of water beside an indoor plant. Surprisingly, some human magazines and candies were on a white table. Mesprit never bothered to read or eat, since she had some more pressing matters that churned her stomach. She even considered the room to be a bit unsettling for the judged.

 _This only makes them feel like they did something really terrible… even if they haven't done anything._ Mesprit shuddered at the thought.

She wasn't filled in with the details, but she knew why she was going to be judged. She had to confirm it with her chief.

"Before I do, Chief, is this about what I think it's about?" Mesprit asked. Mew stared at Mesprit silently. "S-should I say what's on my head?"

"Well, you _are_ trying to share something with me, aren't you, Dear?"

"Y-yes." Mesprit cleared her throat. "About my Lukey and how I attacked my sister?"

Mew paused for a while before nodding. "You're right on one part, Dear."

"What 'one-part', Chief?"

"Apparently, the plaintiff of this case just wishes to discuss your relationship with that human."

"Lukey isn't just _that_ human!" Mesprit declared and clenched her fists. "He's my _friend_!"

Mew sighed. "I understand your feelings, Dear, but you have to stand down. You really should control your emotions, knowing that you bear the first mesprit's image and responsibilities. Well, at least one of your personalities is mature."

"I-I…"

"You, what?" All Mesprit could do was look away in disgust. "I think it's your turn to answer my question, Dear. Why would you even _attack_ your own sister?" Mesprit winced and murmured something inaudible. Mew got closer to her face and asked with a softer tone, "I'm sorry. What was that, Dear?"

"Because she…"

"Because she…?"

"She…!"

Mesprit suddenly teared up, causing Mew to retreat. Dammit, Mew might have an idea already!

"Dear, I'll just spell it out for you, so pardon my insensitivity."

Mesprit looked at Mew teary-eyed and with a dumbstruck expression.

"H-huh?"

"I was planning to visit you in your cavern, by the request of your sister, Uxie."

Mesprit eyes widened in disbelief. _Wait… wait-wait-wait-wait-wait!_

"So, the both of us entered your cavern earlier, and what did we find?"

Mesprit began clutching her drooping appendages. _No-no-no-no-no-_ _NO_ _!_

"It was dark. You were by the wall, watching the human change his clothes, while you were," the feline pokémon closed her eyes, " _de-stressing_ to him," she said with a straight face.

"NOOOOO!"

 _Shit! Shit! Shi—t!_

Out of desperation, Mesprit cried her heart out while being pulled into a comforting embrace by Mew. The sprite-pokémon poured all of her tears unto Mew's shoulder, but the latter didn't seem fazed in any way.

"It's okay, Dear. I understand your sentiments, but I found it funny, to be honest."

"Guh… 'Understand' my ass, Chief!"

Mew's eye twitched. "I'll let this slide, Dear."

Mesprit continued crying while Mew patted her back as comfort. When Mesprit calmed down, they each sat down on a chair facing each other.

"Better?"

Mesprit nodded while wiping her tears.

"If it makes you feel better, I sometimes do the same when I'm stressed," Mew leaned to Mesprit and whispered, "but this'll be our secret, alright?" She winked and smiled before returning to her seat.

"H-how could you say that with a straight face, Chief?"

"Because I trust you," Mew answered. "You won't be sharing what I told you right now, right? Don't forget that I'm a rank higher than your sister and two ranks below the boss of this Terminal, Dear."

Mesprit was sweating bullets now. _S-scary!_

Mew giggled at Mesprit's funny expression, causing Mesprit's appendages to raise up slightly and her face to blush.

"It's only a matter of minutes before the door opens to the Room for the Judged… It's a pompous name, if you ask me," Mew commented. "I think you should be asking me the important questions now, Dear. Rest assured, I'll do my best to act as your defence, and expect that you will be delighted at the results."

 _R-right! I still have to ask some questions while I'm still here… Shouldn't it be the other way around, though?_

Mew remained silent, to which Mesprit understood it as a don't-ask-stupid-questions reply. "Um, why're you acting for my defence, by the way?"

"The confidante and Uxie, surprisingly, asked me to defend your part for tonight's deliberation."

 _Oh yeah, I might be kicked out of the Hall, like what nearly happened to Az a lot of times…_ Mesprit frowned at the imminent possibility.

"However," Mew added, "that should be the least of your worries. I have a good feeling about the outcome of tonight's deliberations. Don't ask why."

This raised more of Mesprit's suspicions, but she opted not to press any further. One wrong move, and she'll definitely get kicked out of the Hall or get reincarnated into something else, or worse:

 **She won't get to see her Lukey ever again.**

She gulped thinking at that fact, since there was nothing she could do but depend on Mew. Perhaps she could ask another question.

"Oh yeah." A question pinged in the sprite-pokémon. "Who's the plain-tough for the delibs, Chief?"

"'Plain _tiff_ ', Dear, and it's your sister, Uxie. She's also going to act as her own barrister."

 _Y-Yux?! Oh no-oh no… I'm definitely screwed…_

"Then again," Mew added once more, "you shouldn't be too worried about tonight's proceedings, Dear. I have good hopes, to reiterate."

Mesprit was definitely going to remove the remaining suspicions in her. Her chief was acting too optimistic for the later deliberations, and it's like she knew what's gonna happen later on. Mesprit thought that she might be missing out on something.

"Chief, I'm really weirded out," Mesprit stated.

"On what, Dear?"

"You're too optimistic! It's as if you know what's gonna happen, why?" Mew only crossed her arms and stared at her defendant. "Well? Answer me, Chief!" Mesprit demanded and hovered in front of her barrister. A still silence ensued between the two, and Mew smiled while sharpening her stare at Mesprit. "C-Chief! P-please answer… me?"

The staredown continued, but the one losing appeared to be losing conviction in her statement. The other just maintained her smile and icy stare.

"O-okay, I-I'll stand down, Chief." Mesprit gingerly returned to her seat.

"Excellent!" The feline pokémon clapped her hands once. "Know when to control yourself, alright, Dear?"

"Y-yes, Chief. I just have one last question left; it's also not stupid or anything!"

"I'll be the judge of that. I'm all ears, Dear."

Remembering what her chief had said earlier, there had to be a reason that her sister wouldn't bring up their _scuffle_. Mesprit knew it was advantageous for her, but the Yux she knew never had the attitude to just leave the insignificant details in the dark.

"Why am I just gonna get judged for my relationship with Lukey? And not for our, um, _fight_? I mean, Yux leaves no stone unturned." Mesprit trailed off at the last word and looked away from Mew.

"Dear, I think it's because you two are _family_. Isn't that what siblings do, to care for one another despite their differences?"

" _Family_?"

All Mesprit could remember was how Yux, despite being connected by blood in some way, acted cold and like a workaholic. She also had this tendency to lie, especially that very incident when the truth of her parents was revealed to her and Az. After she and her sisters obtained their positions in the Hall and their parents' passing, Yux began to put her work in the Hall above anything else, saying it was a sort of 'privilege'. Surely, Mesprit was delighted, but Yux's demeanor before that was history. As for Az, she would rarely communicate with Mesprit after having a new set of friends out of the Sinnoh region, maybe even beyond the United Regions. Mesprit would even forget about Az sometimes, but they still do get along and hang out whenever they see each other.

For Mesprit, _family_ was nothing more than a dictionary word, unless she considered her Lukey to be her family. She knew that she shouldn't be sharing the real relationship to her 'sisters' or the state of her parents to him at his current age.

 _I remember something…_

 _"Um, Mes?"_

Her Lukey asked Mesprit while making some sort of contraption with the flowers.

 _"Yeah, Lukey?"_

She responded while levitating some flower petals to form his cute little face.

 _"Do pokémon like you have a family, like a father or a sister?"_

At that moment, her petal image fell on the ground, and she started thinking of ways to avoid the question.

 _"Uh… yeah… I do. Somehow. Why?"_

It won't hurt to respond nicely, she thought, but doing would only add fuel to the flame of his curiousity.

 _"Do you, y'know, hang out often?"_

To her horror, he asked the million-dollar question that would reveal much of her familial relations — something that shouldn't bother him, especially that his father had passed away years ago.

 _"Er… I… Uh… T-tag, y-you're it!"_

Mesprit immediately teleported to the bushes nearby to hide and reminisce of her sisters and the events of her past.

 _"H-hey! Hey! C'mon, don't be a killjoy!"_

He cutely groaned, running in the opposite direction of where his pink-headed friend hid. What's important was that she narrowly avoided answering the question like a beam grazing her forehead gem.

"That's… not true."

"Hm?"

"Yux… would even go over the line and _kill_ me if the Hall ordered her to!"

"Really?"

"Of course! I don't think Yux ever sees me as a part of this 'family' we even have. Maybe she only thinks I'm a random wild pokémon off the streets or fields…" Mesprit eyes furrowed in disappointment and sadness just by thinking about it.

"Tell me this then," Mew asked, "how do you know?"

"I can read her mind! I can sense emotions too, and I can tell you that she _really_ puts her work above anything else…"

"Need I remind you, Dear, that Uxie is a talented pokémon in the Hall, and she's also your superior — the United Region's country supervisor, in charge of tabulating the necessary data in this country."

Mesprit rolled her eyes. "So what? She's a hotshot, and I'm not."

Mew tsk-tsked. "That's the point. Ever since she came into the Hall. She's been trying to prove herself as a competent leader, and that got her the position of country supervisor in the Eastern Pacific Terminal 1 of the Hall of Origins, aka this very terminal. Do you know how difficult it is to attain such a position, Dear?"

"You sound like Yux's paid you to say that."

A vein bulged on Mew's sky-blue head. "Listen to me, Dear. Uxie could very well put up a psychic façade to hide her true intentions. She has the talent to do so, and you might be taking her intentions wrongly."

This… made sense to Mesprit, and she conceded to the fact that maybe she might be jumping to conclusions. However, she was adamant in her belief that Yux was a _workaholic_ and a _liar_.

"No… that's—"

"Mesprit," Mew said with a low voice.

"Y-yes, Chief?" Mesprit frightfully replied.

"Even if you have the ability to read minds or to sense emotions with much more clarity, never — I repeat — _never_ immediately assume or judge anyone's or anything's intentions to what you seem fit. Am I clear?"

"I… I knew that. You don't have to—"

 **"Am. I. Clear?"**

Mew slowly zoomed into Mesprit until their faces were centimetres away from each other. A silence ensued between the two psychic-type pokémon. For what seemed like hours had passed instead of seconds, each moment grew heavier for Mesprit if she continued to remain silent.

"Y-yes, Chief."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Chief."

And at that moment, the white doors leading to the Room for the Judged flung open with a creaking noise.

"And that's our cue, Dear." Mew hovered by the doorway. "After you, Dear."

Steeling her resolve, Mesprit hovered in front of the door. Being it her first time in how many years to enter the Room, she studied its interior from where she stood.

"It's… dark. Isn't there any light source?"

"Not for long, Dear. Please, after you."

"Why don't you go in first? Please do so, Chief."

Mew sighed. " _Ini nga…_ Alright, if it makes you go inside."

The blue-furred pokémon hovered towards the darkness of the room until her entire body and tail were eaten by the darkness. The remaining Mesprit stared at the dark void for a moment to recollect her thoughts.

 _My fate's gonna be decided in this room, again. I've been here a long time ago, but it feels like my first time…_

The more time wasted meant that the judge would have a bad regard to Mesprit. She slapped her face twice and massaged her cheeks.

 _Damn it! I have to keep on going! If it's gonna make me stay with my Lukey, then I have to go in!_

She ultimately hovered inside, and doors automatically shut themselves with a slamming noise. The white doors then seemed to phase with the white wall, until the path leading to the Room for the Judged was completely sealed off.

* * *

Darkness.

Mesprit aimlessly moved forward through the deep abyss. The sound of the slamming door behind made her skip, but she knew better than to look back. Instead, she pushed forward through the deep blackness.

 _So, this is the 'Room for the Judged'. It's creepy…_

She tried to summon an orb of light on her way, but it seemed like she couldn't channel any of her energy to create one. She proceeded to illuminate her tail gems and forehead gem; no light emitted out of those. Dammit, were her powers nullified?

"C-Chief Mew?" she called out. No response. "Y-Yux? Chief Uxie?" Yet again, no response was given.

Just as she was to try again, a spotlight from above lit the ground on her. She looked below her, and the ground on her revealed itself in an increasingly circular manner, like a small hole opening itself without changing its punctured shape. The ground on her resembled the bricks on Spear Pillar, and — looking in front of her — a stand with a cream-coloured stone fence appeared before her.

 _T-this wasn't here when the ground lit up—_

An ominous breeze gushed past Mesprit along its whooshing sound, and two stone tables of similar material appeared at her sides. As the darkness lifted itself, Yux emerged from her left, and Mew emerged from her right. Their expressions were serious, and Mesprit opted not to speak unless told to. The whooshing sound around her continued.

The illuminated area was now a circle bounded by dark 'walls' in a bird's eye view, with Mesprit in the middle. Yux and Mew were stationed opposite to each other behind their respective tables, nearly touching the dark 'walls' from where they emerged from.

Mesprit was now sweating out of anxiety. _What… is this?_

"The deliberations for the defendant's position as a member of the Hall of Origins shall now commence," a booming voice of sporadic pitch came from the pitch-black shadows in front of Mesprit.

 _I can't tell if this judge is a male or female…_

Suddenly, two blood-red circles similar to the moon opened up from the darkness, staring down on Mesprit, who fixed her gaze back up at the pair of circles. Below the circles, a mouth-like figure of the same colour opened up in the darkness.

"Barristers," the mouth moved as it seemingly spoke, "make themselves known, and state their positions."

"Uxie No. 150804, Your Honour," the left barrister declared. "I am both the plaintiff for tonight's deliberations and the acting barrister against the defendant. I am the current Guardian of Lake Acuity and the country supervisor of the United Regions for the Eastern Pacific Terminal 1 of the Hall of Origins. This party has been ready for a while, Your Honour."

"Mew No. 210601, Your Honour," the right barrister declared. "I am the defending barrister for the defendant. I am a member of the Board of the Hall of Origins. This side is also ready, Your Honour."

 _W-why do they have to act like that…?_

"Very well." The red face-like figure seemed to nod in approval. "Defendant."

"Y-yes, Your Honour!" Mesprit straightened her back and tails. She stared up to the facial figure in the darkness.

"Make themselves known, and state their position."

"W-well… I'm Mesprit No. 100601. I'm the Guardian of Lake Verity, um, currently."

"Your Honour," Yux called out, "may the plaintiff make a statement, for the record?"

"Very well, plaintiff," the judge replied.

"The plaintiff wishes to clarify that throughout the course of the deliberations, a new light on the defendant may be shed on us, and it is through tonight's deliberations that the barristers may act accordingly on the influx of information. The plaintiff also beseeches your understanding on the matter, if such events present themselves, Your Honour."

"Hmm… I see." The judge nodded. "I shall acquiesce. What is the say of the defendant and the defence on this matter?"

"I… I think it's okay, Your Honour!" Mesprit responded.

 _Did that mean that something might be revealed…? Well, Chief said that the course of this deliberations is gonna be okay, so why not? It's just about my relationship with Lukey, right? Also…_

Mesprit studied Yux's posture and earlier attitude.

… _she's kinda cool. I guess she had to be good at words to be able to climb up the ranks._

Yux hmphed, seemingly as a reply to Mesprit's monologue.

"If the defendant acquiesces, then the defending barrister does likewise, Your Honour," Mew responded.

"Your Honour," Yux called out again, "the plaintiff has one last thing to state. Would that be okay?"

"Oh? I do hope it won't consume much of our time," the judge clarified.

"It won't, Your Honour. In fact," Yux raised her hands and grinned, "the plaintiff expects that the course of the deliberations to be swift. It is, of course — as what the humans say, 'time for bed'. It is also the belief of the plaintiff that the deliberations need not be prolonged for hours. As the acting barrister, I surmise that the defending barrister also shares similar sentiments?"

"Yes, Ms. Uxie." Mew nodded and crossed her arms, smiling. "The defence also wishes for the deliberations to be completed with utmost speed."

 _It feels like… I'm really missing out on something,_ Mesprit thought with exasperation.

"Aren't we all sleepy?" the judge joked. "However, I digress. Though this is just a simple deliberation for the defendant, I understand if the barristers wish that the proceedings would end earlier, but make it clear that incompetence shall not be tolerated. Am I understood, barristers?"

"Understood, Your Honour," Yux replied.

"Crystal clear, Your Honour," Mew replied.

 _Alright, Chief, I hope everything goes really well… You're, like, a rank higher than Yux!_

A chair below Mesprit appeared, and she decided to rest by sitting down and hoping for the best. In reality, she's actually anxious and restless about the outcome.

"If it is the plaintiff's wish for a speedy deliberation, then may its barrister present the case of the plaintiff for us?"

Yux nodded. "Yes, Your Honour. The plaintiff addresses their case with respect to the current offences of the defendant." Raising a hand, a pink folder materialised out of thin air. Yux summoned it towards her, and it automatically opened. "To note, revealing her physical self and a portion of the Hall's information to a human."

Mesprit clenched her fist hearing how her Lukey was referred to as such, but she held her emotions in. She remembered that having a breakdown in the Room would cause her to be sent out, or worse.

"This is just a formality, but how is this an offence to the Hall, Ms. Uxie?" the judge asked.

"The defendant has made such data known for a total of six years to the human boy, therefore threatening the very existence of the Hall to the human population!"

 **"Objection!"**

"Is that really all you've got? Please don't immediately assume that the defendant was indirectly involved in divulging the existence of the Hall to a random human being. Furthermore," Mew summoned her own set of papers, "the human boy in question is currently 12 years old, and we have the power to completely erase the memories."

"Your point being, defence?"

"That six years ago, the human boy was six years old." Mew wagged her finger. "I ask this, how could the human masses believe the tellings and visions of a young one? It is almost certain that they are to immediately dismiss those stories as fairytales of a child, so how could they ascertain credibility from it? Despite making herself known to a lone human child, that simply cannot be a reason for a macroscopic revelation of the Hall's existence. Additionally, I would like to note that the Hall's members have the ability to erase memories should their existence or the information of or from the Hall be threatened to be revealed."

"I suppose you have evidence to back up your claim, defence?" the judge asked.

"Certainly, Your Honour." Mew picked two sheets of paper and a small book from her stack and deposited them into the dark wall. After being eaten up by the darkness, the same papers were delivered to the opposing barrister. "I have submitted the evidence for your perusal."

"And these are?" the judge asked.

"A miniature pocket book summarising the Hall members' exclusive abilities, published by Uxie No. 150804 and ultimately authorised by Father Arceus, and two published surveys on the perception of adult humans to children's tales: one conducted by humans in the name of a reputable university in the United States, and the other conducted by a team led by none other than," Mew pointed to the opposing barrister, "the very plaintiff of tonight's deliberations as well, Uxie No. 150804! See how your own deeds can be your undoing!"

 _W-wow! Way to go, Chief!_ Mesprit grinned and clapped from her seat.

The judge hummed. "Very well. These shall be accepted into the record. Also, your line of reasoning does not hold water, plaintiff."

Yux crossed her arms and remained silent. She also put her hand near her mouth, something she'd do when she's thinking.

 _Dammit, I hope she's not cooking up something in her mind._

"Also, Your Honour?" the defending barrister called out. "A small request."

"What is it, defence?"

"May we, the participants of the deliberations, address the human of interest as 'Lucas'?"

Mesprit's eyes lit up upon hearing her request.

"And why, pray tell, should we address him as such?"

"Your Honour, it would be deemed rude and a misfit for us to belittle the human population by generalising as to who they are as mere 'humans'. I believe that we are better than that; hence, we should refer to the human as 'Lucas'."

The judge nodded. "That is true. The members of the Hall are neither savages nor close-minded folk, and calling this 12-year-old a mere human without his knowledge is simply unacceptable for our grandiose image. Your answer, plaintiff?"

Yux put the hand near her mouth down. Crap, she's done thinking. "Even though no one bears witness to tonight's deliberations, it won't hurt to address the human by their designated name. I'll acquiesce, but this seems pointless," Yux said.

"I see." The judge's face turned to the centre of the illuminated room. "Defendant?"

"Definitely, Your Honour! It's very _rude_ to call anyone by their general name or classification!"

"I see a consensus between the barristers and the defendant. Very well, the human shall be hitherto, throughout the duration of tonight's proceedings, labelled as 'Lucas'."

A breeze stirred up in the Room for the Judged, indicating the effectiveness of the defence's request. Mesprit flashed a thumbs-up to her own barrister, to which the latter nodded in approval.

"If the defence is finished with their menial celebration, the plaintiff would like to continue its case," Yux stated.

"But of course," the judge responded. "By all means, the plaintiff may proceed."

"Thank you, Your Honour. It is clear that no adult human would believe the ramblings of the hu — Lucas, rather, and that we, the esteemed members of the Hall, have this power to erase emotions. However! The fact still stands: the defendant had still conversed with Lucas for six long years, and the possibility of leaking this Terminal's whereabouts cannot be disregarded."

 **"Objection!"**

"Is the plaintiff seriously planning to prove their point with the same argument that has been disproven?"

 **"Objection!"**

"If the defence is having doubts as to this barrister's credibility, then why not ask the defendant directly?" Yux offered. "After all, no one else would know the truth besides the defendant themselves. Your Honour, if you may?"

The judge nodded. "Very well. The defendant will submit themselves to a cross-examination of the barristers if need be. Moreover, will the defendant speak of the truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"Y-yes, Your Honour. I won't lie." A breeze stirred up in the Room, but Mesprit appeared to be dumbstruck at what the judge said. "Um, Chief? What does 'cross-examination' mean?"

"It basically means that we will question you, Mesprit No. 100601," Mew explained, to which the defendant 'ah'-ed in response.

"Go on, defence," Yux urged. "Ask her what you want to know."

"Alright, Mesprit?"

Mesprit leapt from her seat. "Y-yes, Chief!"

"Have you discussed with Lucas regarding the whereabouts or anything related to the Hall or its Terminals?"

Mesprit winced at the question. In fact, she felt the need to lie building up within her because she had spoken to Lucas about the Hall in one of their meetings. Hell, even just today! Before today, she thought that Lucas couldn't have understood her at that time, and she even put his memories to sleep from that time, or so she thought.

 _Oh wait, I reawakened his memories just today…_

"Defendant, bear in mind that lying on purpose, or _perjury_ , can put you in a very dire situation," the judge warned. "You have to answer truthfully, for you have just sworn to speak truthfully. Perjury is not tolerated in the Room for the Judged."

"Y-yes, Your Honour," Mesprit replied.

"I'll ask again, Defendant: have you discussed anything with Lucas regarding anything related to the Hall?" Mew asked.

"C-Chief, I-I—"

"Also," Mew added. "it's okay if you tell the truth and expound on it. Remember what I said? 'I have good hopes for the outcome of tonight's deliberations.'"

"A-are you sure, Chief? It's really okay?" Mew nodded and smiled warmly. "A-alright." Mesprit faced the red figures on the dark wall. "Y-Your Honour?"

"What is it?"

Mesprit sighed. "I-it's true…"

"Speak up, Defendant!" the judge commanded with a booming voice.

"I-I did! There were times that I spoke about the Hall to Lukey — I mean, Lucas. Also, I… reawoke his memories today. I never really _truly_ erased them."

Yux snickered. "And there you have it, Your Honour. Case closed."

"T-this is… _unbelievable_!" the judge shouted. The wind felt stronger around the participants in the Room. Mesprit thought that this was because of the judge's anger. "Defendant, explain yourself!"

"Y-Your Honour!" Mesprit leaned forward and pushed the stone fence in front of her. "Even though I did speak to Luk — Lucas about it, I didn't say anything delicate or anything that should be kept a secret about the Hall. I'm better than that! Hell, all I said was that I was a legendary pokémon in the Hall, and that there were more of us. That's it, promise! You gotta believe me!"

Mesprit's tails were already wagging furiously in terror. She felt that the judge may not believe her story, but she couldn't just throw a fit of rage; she was better than that.

 _P-please, please believe me!_ Mesprit prayed while trembling.

The judge was silent for a few moments, but Mesprit felt the anger and disappointment coming from all sides of the room. It's as if the tension and fear was squashing her down, literally.

"If that is the statement of the defendant, what is the say of each side of the debate?" the judge asked.

"Your Honour, I believe that this statement must be taken into scrutiny," Yux commented. "The defendant may be lying or hiding more critical details to the Room."

Mesprit's appendages and tails drooped while her face turned upset. _Y-Yux… I guess all that pent-up hate's coming down to this._

"As the defence, I must disagree, but I believe that the defendant may be _unwittingly_ hiding something from us, perhaps due to the fact that she is worked up about tonight. Hence," Mew's tail straightened, and her hand tapped the desk in front of her, "the defence asserts its right to continue the cross-examination of the defendant!"

"C-Chief!" The defendant locked her eyes onto her own barrister. "W-why? Why don't you believe me?!" Mesprit asked, on the verge of tearing up.

"This is a cliché saying, but no matter who stands before any of us, the **truth** of the matter has to come into light. And since we are in the Room for the Judge, all the more does the truth need to show itself. Isn't that right," Mew looked at her opponent, "Ms. Uxie?"

 _T-the hell? I thought you were on my side…_

Yux smiled and nodded. "I couldn't agree more, Ms. Mew. To reiterate, the defendant may be lying."

Mesprit slouched on her seat. "N-no… W-what the hell…"

 _W-will I ever see_ _my Lukey_ _ever again…?_

"Mesprit No. 100601!" Yux called out.

"Y-yes, M-Miss!"

"Chin up. Back straight," her sister commanded. "No matter where one may be, no matter what the situation or condition may be, a member of the Hall must proudly raise their head up high in the face of their fate. Now," Yux slammed her hand on her desk, **"proudly submit yourself before the Hall!"**

All it took was a single line for Mesprit to do a complete 180 — from her ashamed self into one brimming with energy and pride.

"YES MA'AM! I will submit myself before the Hall!" Upon saying this, Mesprit immediately bowed in front of the face on the dark wall.

 _I'll fucking get you for this, Yux! Just you wait…_

The judge laughed heartily. "Magnificent! I know that I would never regret my choices for the leaders of the Hall!"

"I do not deserve such praise, Your Honour," Yux said as she bowed.

"Your compliments flatter me, Your Honour," Mew said as she smiled sweetly.

 _I-is there a side of the Hall I wasn't shown within these hundred years of living? 'Cause I feel… different…_

As what Mesprit thought, the chains binding her resolve suddenly unshackled themselves. It's as if the pompous pep talk from her sister blew her shamefulness and fright to smithereens. Perhaps she really didn't know _who_ her sister was after her promotion, but she didn't care. She still _hated that lying scum._

"Very well. Defendant!"

"Yes, Your Honour!"

Now, Mesprit could look at the menacing blood-red face of the judge without quaking in fear. Besides, what could she possibly be afraid of? Mew did constantly mention that the outcome of the deliberations would be okay.

"By the Name of the Hall of Origins, do you swear to speak of the truth, and nothing but the truth?" the judge asked, while the circular eyes seemed to glow a pulsating red.

 _I'm ready for anything. And if it's to secure my place with_ _my Lukey_ _, then so be it._

Mesprit bowed her head once and stared back up. "Yes, I swear by the Name of the Hall of Origins."

"In that case, Your Honour," the defending barrister slammed a fist on her desk, "the defence asserts it right to continue **cross-examining the defendant**!"

A wind blew within the Room for the Judged. The wind this time, however, bore a more ominous, deep purple colour.

* * *

 **Guest No 1: Well, it seems like her she couldn't stop herself from doing it XD**

 **Mallory S. Nocturne: Oh, you found it terrifying? Thanks! There's more in store for everyone, too! :3**

 **Jess Loves Austin: No comment.**

 **Anon Omega: I can't really say anything that would be a revelation, so all I could say is: 'Nice try!'**

 **Guest No 2: Oh, don't worry. You won't be disappointed in the future. -3-**


	12. 1-12: Back to School

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 _ **Last edited on: 16th of May 2020**_

* * *

 **"Lucas!"**

"Huh?" Lucas looked to where that voice came from. He stopped playing with his pencil and saw that his teacher was staring at him.

"Just what are you doing there, young man?"

And right there, he felt like all of his classmates — no, the **entire world** , was looking at him. They really were, and he didn't like that especially when he didn't wanna be embarrassed in front of two of his closest friends.

Scratching his head, he answered, "I was thinking about my life, sir."

Aw, boy. He could hear his classmates laughing, even more from his airhead friend right next to him. The teacher grumbled and moved closer to him. Lucas was starting to think that that didn't make the teacher happy.

"You think you're funny, Lucas?" the teacher asked him with a smile. Lucas didn't like the way his teacher spoke to him. In fact, it scared him. "Stand up, and face the board." Dangit, it's the first time in a long time he got called out, and this was the first day of classes too. This sucked real hard for him.

He did as he's told, and the board had some writings on it: words and some arrows. Lucas was getting more and more scared. Some of his classmates were even 'ooh'-ing at him. They really should shut the heck up when someone's getting grilled by the teacher.

"Quiet down, now," the teacher ordered. "Since you've been contemplating about your wonderful life while your friend behind you was reciting, I suppose you have an example as to what she was discussing?"

 _Wait-wait-wait. What the heck's going on?_

Lucas gulped, and doing what he usually did at times like these, he answered with a 'yes'. He looked at what was on the board.

 _Ah, yeah. Type match-ups! We were reviewing this for our Intermediate Battling subject last year. This is gonna be way too easy_. He felt confident now, remembering that they were just reviewing last year's third term topics.

"So?" the teacher asked. "Can you give an example?"

"Go, Lucas!" someone whispered behind him. The voice made Lucas smile a bit.

"Sir, psychic-type pokémon won't do well when battling ghost-types, dark-types, and bug-type pokémon."

The teacher nodded in approval. "Okay, how about psychic-type moves? What are they strong against?"

"Sir, they're strong against poison-types and fighting-types."

"Good, good. Now, name an example of a psychic-type pokémon and a sample battle that includes what you've just said."

Lucas smiled. Way too easy.

"Alright, sir. Me — eck!" Lucas suddenly burst into coughing.

"Hm? Are you alright, Lucas?" the teacher asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, I'm fine sir. Just got something stuck in my throat."

 _What the heck? My throat just squeezed itself, and it just started when I was gonna say Mes'… oh._

Lucas immediately found out what was wrong, and he just rubbed his throat. He looked down for a moment, with an upset face, knowing that he nearly broke their promise. He wondered what Mes would think of him for that.

The teacher nodded once. "I see. You were saying, Lucas?"

Boy, that was close. Lucas continued his explanation, but instead saying 'mesprit', he said 'mister mime'. He continued by saying if a mr. mime battled a zubat, the mr. mime could win if it kept using Psychic. Another one was when a mr. mime battled a mismagius. The mr. mime couldn't win if the mismagius was faster and used a strong ghost-type move, like Shadow Ball.

The teacher clapped his hands twice. "Very good, Lucas. Next time, try not to make bad jokes or look out the window and think about your life in front of a teacher, understand?"

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry about that," Lucas apologised and bowed slightly.

"Take your seat, Lucas, and now—" Just when the teacher was gonna write on the board, the school's bell rang. Looking at the clock, it's already 12 noon. "—you may take your lunch. Don't forget about your homework, students. Good-bye."

After greeting the teacher good-bye,his teacher and some of Lucas' classmates left the classroom. Dang, that teacher just gave the class homework on the first day. Lucas then remembered that one teacher who'd give homework every time the class met with her.

Saved by the bell, the best thing that could ever happen. He hated stuff like being put on the spot 'cause it kinda made his chest like a bag of watermelons. Lucas smiled, glad that it's done, and took out his own lunch. Soon, his best friend noisily moved his armchair closer to him and slapped his shoulder. He started chuckling when he leaned closer.

"Nice one, Lucas! Didn't know you wanna be like me in the future!"

"Shut up, Barry," Lucas said when he opened his lunch bag, "it's just that I had to come up with some excuse there. Also, I don't wanna be like you at all!"

 _The heck is with this guy…_

"Sheesh, don't deny it, Lucas! I know you better than anyone else here in this sad, cruel world."

And that's where he's wrong. Lucas rolled his eyes.

 _Stupid know-it-all._

"C'mon, Barry, knock it off, would 'ya?" the voice behind Lucas said. "You're not the only one who knows Lucas like an open book here, too." A long-haired girl then quietly moved her armchair closer to Barry and Lucas. It was Dawn: Lucas and Barry's other closest friend, and Lucas kinda turned red when she got near him.

"Oh, fine. Then answer me this, Dawn: Lucas wants to be like The Great and Powerful Barry, true or true?" Barry asked.

"False," Lucas answered immediately while turning his armchair around to face his two friends.

"What kind of a choice is that, Barry?" Dawn asked while sighing and rubbing her head.

"Wrong, you're both wrong! It's 'true', since Lucas only wants to be someone as strong and powerful as me! Right, Lucas?"

Ignoring Barry, Lucas turned to Dawn. "So, what's your lunch, Dawn?"

"Ah, it's just rice, some fried fish, and some sweets, Lucas," Dawn answered while getting her lunch.

"Hey, don't just ignore me!" Barry angrily told both of his friends.

"It's lunchtime, Barry. Even great and powerful people need to eat," Lucas replied calmly. Barry only grumbled and took his own lunch out as a reply. Dawn giggled at Barry's regular weird act.

Turning to Lucas, Dawn asked "What about you, Lucas? What'd you cook for your first day?"

"Almost the same thing as yours, Dawn. Just some fried magikarp fish and berries with rice. Mom said that I should avoid other pokémon meat when she's away for the week, imitation or not."

Dawn frowned. "Oh, I remember. Your mother's new work. What was it again?"

Lucas knew he had to keep his mom's work a secret, even to his two friends, 'cause she told him not to share any family secrets. Actually, she was hired as a hostess in Hearthome City for random events last week, so she had to be away during weekdays. His mom would return every Saturday, then leave again Monday afternoon or early evening. That was her new schedule, and Lucas hated the fact his mom was gonna be away. At least he had Munch with him.

"Some coordinator work, I guess. I'm not really sure, Dawn."

"You know what, Lucas? Barry and I could always keep you company when we're at school. You can bet on it!" Dawn smiled and thumbs-upped. "Um, maybe starting tomorrow since I gotta fix some of my stuff first."

"Mhm," Barry said with a stuffed mouth and lips covered with some rice. Dawn and Lucas didn't like that and looked away. Barry hmph-ed and continued eating. Anyway, Lucas felt very happy, and it felt even better that Dawn was here.

Two of his closest friends were there for him, but two were missing.

 _Tyson, Mes…_

Tyson just passed away last week 'cause of something bad that happened in Canalave City. He's kinda like a big brother to him and Barry, teaching them stuff, helping out with homework, hanging out at the lake sometimes, and a lot more. They were schoolmates too, so they'd go to school together sometimes. He was about to graduate from the highschool department, too. Then, it all ended when a bad thing happened in Canalave.

And then there's Mes. Their last talk was also about actually seeing the future of that bad thing that happened at Canalave. Good thing nothing bad happened to Twinleaf, but it was really different without her. Even he couldn't call her out from their secret spot in the lake. Also, he got his memories back, and being without her felt so… weird. He just hoped that she was alright when she was gone.

But it was even a bigger, bigger bummer of being somehow when his mom told him about her new work some time later. At least he got Munch and Barry throughout the summer. Scratch that, Barry had to go to Snowpoint City the day after he last met Mes.

"Um, Lucas? Hello?" Dawn called him, raising his back.

"Ah, Dawn. What's up?"

"You've been staring at your lunch for a minute now. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing. It's nothing important or anything. Just thinking about the next subjects," Lucas lied when he opened his lunchbox.

Weird. When he looked at what's inside, there were sitrus berries there besides the oran berries he placed. He's sure he just put oran berries there, or was it just those? He decided not to think too much and just began eating.

"Hey, Lucas, Barry," Dawn called them out, "I've been meaning to ask: how're your vacations?"

Barry and Lucas immediately looked at each other. Lucas felt like he knew what Barry was gonna say, so he nodded once to Barry to tell the story of that day.

"Yeah, yeah. It was fun and all, but get this: we got ourselves new pokémon!" Barry said while smiling. "I could show you right now, but we aren't allowed by the school to let out our pokémon indoors, so maybe later."

"Wow~" Dawn suddenly turned excited. "And how'd you get them?"

"I—" Lucas glared and raised a brow at Barry. Lucas didn't like how he'd go the usual selfish Barry. Nope, not one bit. "Uh, I mean, **we** got our new pokémon with a rocky road, if you get what I mean."

Barry went on and explained how the two tried to steal a baby starly up until the part when he went off to find his lost poké ball. Lucas filled in his nasty experiences while Barry chickened out for most of the time. Of course, Lucas made sure not to say anything about Mes.

"Barry, you meanie!" Dawn suddenly hit Barry with her ballpen. "How could you leave Lucas out like that? He could've gotten really hurt!" Lucas put up a smug smile at Barry. Finally, someone with a smart and cute brain could feel him. Barry's getting what he deserved, ha!

"I get it, I get it! I said I'm sorry, Dawn! It won't happen again, promise!"

It took awhile before Dawn cooled down. "But still, I can't really believe you got attacked by the Lake Guardian Mesprit just like that. It's like you're making this—"

" **It's true!"**

Some of Lucas' classmates looked at Barry after he screamed. Dangit, Barry!

"Oopsie. Sorry, guys." Barry laughed a bit and scratched his head.

 _Serves you right, dimwit._ Lucas rubbed his eyebrows with an annoyed face.

"Barry, chill. It's only the first day of classes," Dawn said, really quietly.

Now that she said it, Lucas remembered ever since he was classmates with Barry from pre-elementary, there wasn't a single first day of classes where Barry _never_ screamed or shouted. It must be a curse, or something.

"I know, I know. Sorry again, guys, but I swear to God, it's true!" Barry immediately looked at Lucas. "Look, Lucas here can tell you. Right, Lucas?"

Dawn looked at Lucas with a face he didn't like. She looked like she didn't wanna buy that cheap and unbelievable story, but it was the **truth**. Plus, Barry was Lucas' best friend. He didn't wanna let him down like that at this moment. It's just so wrong.

 _I mean, Barry was there, and Mes was technically invisible at that time. So… I guess it's alright._

Lucas nodded. "Yeah, it's true, Dawn. Mesprit, or I guess something like that, attacked us with a Swift move."

"This is unbelievable, but now that you mention it," Dawn began to twirl a part of her hair, "I do remember hearing stories that if you anger the Lake Guardian, you're gonna get a bad time later on. Also, my father said that some people got attacked just out of nowhere. In Lake Verity, too."

Oh, yeah. Lucas also remembered that some dudes ran out of Lake Verity a long time ago saying something like 'Cursed!' or something. Maybe they got Swift-ed by Mes or got the scary treatment like he did?

"You believe us, right, Dawn?" Barry asked.

Lucas could tell that Dawn still didn't wanna believe, but then, said this, "Y'know what, I actually do, but I still kinda think it's… well, made-up. I do want to get to know the legendary pokémon in Lake Verity, though."

Lucas smiled sheepishly. _You really don't wanna meet someone nearly as hyper as Barry, Dawn. Trust me._

"Oh, yeah! I got something really awesome to tell you while I was in Snowpoint, too!" Barry added.

Snowpoint? Thinking about it, Lucas now remembered that Barry and his mom went to that city way up north for a reunion the day after he got Chat. If he got it right, Barry's dad would sometimes invite them over to Snowpoint with his relatives since his dad worked at an island somewhere.

"While I was with my cousins'n all, I saw something cool!"

"And what's that, Barry?" Lucas and Dawn said altogether. Dawn giggled, while Lucas blushed.

"Alright, so there's this forest there right before you enter Snowpoint, right?"

 _Like I'd know!_ Lucas hadn't been to Snowpoint before, so he didn't have any clue about what the heck it looked like. Meanwhile, Dawn nodded. Dang, did Dawn go there before?

"So, I snuck out late at night, and I got into that forest. Then…!"

Suddenly, Barry stopped talking.

"Yeah? And you…?" Lucas asked.

"I… uh…"

"C'mon, Barry. Don't just stop there," Dawn said.

"I-I'm not! I just… y'know."

Barry scratched his head, like he's trying to remember what happened down in that forest he was yapping about, and… he's rubbing his throat?

"Y-you know what, guys? J-just forget about it, ha ha! I think I forgot what the heck happened there."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Great, you wasted nearly a minute, Barry."

"Oh, come on, Lucas. Don't be like that. He's just forgotten his mini-adventure out there." Turning to Barry, Dawn continued, "It's alright, Barry."

"Jeez, Lucas. You could learn a thing or two from Dawn!"

 _And that's coming from you, genius!_

The three continued their talks while eating their lunch, each sharing their own experiences during the summer. Right before the bell rang, Lucas' classmates started piling up in the classroom. Barry and Dawn returned their chairs back to their original position, and the bell rang just then. The next class for their first day was… Asian History, and their subject teacher was none other than their favourite section advisor.

"Good afternoon, class," the teacher with white hair greeted.

"Good afternoon, Sir Darian."

Sir Darian. Amazingly, he's been Lucas' advisory teacher for five years straight. It was his sixth year, right now. Two things that really stood out from Sir Darian was his unusual white hair — Lucas remembered very clearly his teacher saying years ago that it was the 'Marie Antoinette syndrome' — and his favourite colour, black. Even on the first day, he's wearing his black long-sleeves, pants, and shoes. There's one time Barry and some other classmates said that Sir Darian had a thing for goth outfits. Then again, Sir Darian's probably the best teacher Lucas and his classmates ever had since elementary day one.

"Well, it's the first day so…" Sir started.

"Free time?" one classmate said.

"Announcement, actually, Hilbert," Sir replied, with a slightly annoyed tone. "I have some announcements for you, children."

Announcements? Well, it's the first day, and the section advisor's here. There's gotta be some news that'd probably interest Lucas. Also, it's Sir's thing to call his students 'children'. It has a fatherly tone there, and Lucas kinda liked it.

"First, I want to start off by saying 'welcome back to school', especially to those who were late in coming here."

The class suddenly started laughing softly, and those who were late were scratching their head or smiling sheepishly. Apparently, all of Lucas' classmates were former students, some advisory students before as well, under Sir Darian, so everyone was warmed up to him.

"Heh. Next time, try not to be late after homeroom. Otherwise, you might be seeing the principal after three strikes, but I think you all know that." Sir even laughed a bit before continuing. "Second, you all will be having a _new classmate_ , starting tomorrow."

Lucas' classmates were murmuring to each other. A new classmate, huh. Lucas didn't have one in his section since two years ago, and that was Hilbert, who flew here from the States. It'd be cool to have a new classmate, though. Maybe he or she could be Lucas' new friend.

"Sir, Sir," another classmate called out, "is our new classmate gonna be a boy or girl?"

Sir Darian sighed. He probably knew what's on that guy's mind. "If I told you, what would you do, Ruby?"

"I'm just curious, Sir," Ruby replied and grinned.

"Well, I'll let that curiousity keep you in the dark, Ruby. You'll find out tomorrow. Anyway, children," Sir turned to his students, "don't worry yourselves too much about that. They're a nice person, and I know most of you would get along just well with them. Lastly, there are specific areas where you can release certain kinds of pokémon. I know most of you already are already familiar with this, but am I understood, children?"

"Yes, Sir," they all replied.

"Very good, now onto our activity for today." Sir began writing on the board. "And yes, Hilbert, you all can get your free time once you've answered everything on the board."

Hilbert and some others, including Barry, looked pretty happy for a sec there.

Once Sir was done writing, he asked his students to get their notebooks and answer the following questions in the first page of their notebooks. The questions were pretty simple to answer, something that anyone would expect in their first day of classes.

After Asian History was through after one period, Sir Darian left, and Maths was up next for the last two periods. Lucas didn't really hate or like the subject, but strangely enough, Barry seemed to like it. Heck, he'd _always_ get the highest scores in Maths, or anything that had Maths. He'd always wondered where he got that skill, but Barry'd always say 'it's just so easy to get it'. Kinda annoying, but Lucas got used to it.

Their teacher in Maths was a woman: Miss Cassandra. If Lucas compared Sir Darian to her, then Miss Cassandra was definitely Sir's opposite. She's strict, she always required homework every day, she always told them to copy stuff from the board, she'd take their papers exactly once the time's up, and many, many more. Sir Darian was a bit more fun to be with. He'd always give a little extra time to work out the last few questions, he always cracked jokes when he wanted to, and stuff like that. Point was that those two teachers were kinda like the sun and the moon. Heck, even her clothes were bright coloured, usually sea blue or yellow with a bit of pink.

Dang, I'm really sorry for the section who got her as section advisor. She's also been in the school for nearly as long as Sir Darian, maybe just off by a year or something.

Huh, now that he thought of it, Lucas always imagined if the two teachers had a thing for each other. Well, he's a sucker for those opposites-attract stuff on TV. Then again, he'd usually see those two teachers talk to each other.

"Alright, class," Miss Cassandra said, "for the first day, as my usual protocol, I'll be diagnosing each of your capabilities for this term's lessons. You have 30 minutes to finish the test papers I've given you. Any questions?"

No one dared to ask Miss any 'useless' questions. One time, she forced Hilbert to stand outside for one period just 'cause he asked if she ever wanted to give free time. They even had a heated fight with words before he got sent out. Like, what the heck, Hilbert? It's not that the class hated her. It's just that she's overboard sometimes.

"Miss, can we use calculators?" a female classmate asked.

"No, Sapphire. I'm sorry, but this is to test yourselves. I need to know each of your limits, so I could adjust my lessons for you all. Anyone else?"

It's been quiet for a moment now. Usually, Miss would say—

"Silence means no more questions. Submit only when you've answered everything. Now, 30 minutes. You may begin. No talking."

Once Lucas turned the page over, he quickly scanned the questions. A lot of them were lines, shapes, and circles. Huh, looks kinda okay. This was discussed last year… huh?

Wait, why the heck were there partially shaded diamonds in a circle in a triangle? Why's there a ball in a water container? And what the heck are these weird letter O's and little squares inside triangles?! Dangit, this is way too hard, and we're just in sixth grade! This felt like advanced Maths, and Lucas could feel that some of his classmates were just as confused. Geometry and shapes were their last topic last year, but this wasn't as hard back then! Lucas knew that he couldn't complain. Miss Cassandra was too scary when her rules got violated.

15 minutes in, and Lucas wasn't even halfway through with the exam. It was dead silent, too. One could only hear pencils and erasers, but only those and nothing else. Crud, with these kinds of questions, I don't even think Barry could—

"Thank you, Barry. You may return, but do not make any noise," Miss said quietly.

 _What the heck?! How the fricking frick is he done?!_

Shoot, that Barry was probably out of Lucas' league in Math. Sadly, he just decided to mind his own business and answer the rest of the questions — the ones he could, that is.

Dang, 2 minutes left, and only Lucas and probably a few guys left. He thought that he should just pass his work with his cruddy answers. He filled in the blanks with somehow good-looking solutions and answers. He passed his work, with his other classmates. Seems like everyone's passed their tests.

Miss stacked the last papers and put it in her pink envelope. "Alright, thank you, class. I'll first head back to the teachers' room to return these papers. Do not make any noise while I'm gone. If the bell rings and I'm not here, you may take your break."

"Yes, Miss." And with that, she left the room.

All of Lucas' classmates just went on doing whatever they wanted to do, but some of them — including Lucas — quickly dashed to Barry for the earlier test.

"Really, guys. That was way too weird to be put in the exam. Don't you think so too, guys?" Hilbert asked.

"I know, right? It's too damn hard!" Sapph said.

"You know what else's hard, Sapph?" Ruby asked while raising one of his eyebrows.

Sapph rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I do: your stinky, perverted brain, Ruby. Piss off!"

"Oh, my bleeding heart!" Ruby joked and put a hand on his chest. Sapph's face looked like she ate a bitter fruit, and the two were quite funny for Lucas.

"But still, Barry," Lucas asked, "I think Hilbert's right; the test was way too hard, even for our grade, I guess."

"Hey, Barry," Dawn asked, "did you know how to solve that triangle with a weird letter O and a square?"

"In fact, I do!" Barry said. "Ever heard of the SOHCAHTOA?"

"Saw-cat-owa? Is that a new sawing tool thing?" Dawn asked.

"Not a sawing tool; it's a hunting tool," Sapphire answered.

"I bet it's a new car brand, right?" Hilbert asked.

"Or a European perfume!" Ruby added.

Barry shook his head and made a buzzer sound. "Wrong. You're all, Dawn, Hilbert, Ruby, Sapph!"

"Oh, okay, Lord Genius. We don't know what that saw-cat-whatchamacallit is unlike your god-like brain. Can you now tell us?" Lucas asked impatiently. Geez, this airhead's pride levels were off the charts.

"Alright, alright, Lucas! I was getting there." Barry held his hands up and laughed nervously. "This SOHCAHTOA is actually for the tri—"

"Alright, class. Pardon my tardiness," Miss Cassandra said, as she suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Lucas' classmates quickly returned to their seats, and the quietness returned once again.

Miss returned to her desk with a thick book and some chalk. She didn't sit down as the bell already rang.

The blonde-haired teacher sighed before saying, "Five-minute break, class."

Some of Lucas' classmates went out of the classroom while some stayed and did their thing.

"Barry," Miss called Barry out, "a word with you, please."

Lucas and those who were with him earlier eyeballed each other quickly and stared at Barry, who was bug-eyed and looked a bit scared.

"Y-yes, Miss. Coming." Lucas swore he heard Barry muttering something when he passed by Lucas. There, Miss and Barry began talking by the doorway.

The last period for the day passed with Miss explaining the questions of the diagnostic test. There were three papers. Each paper's kinda like levels of difficulty. Lucas finished the first one and some parts of the second one. Heck, the last paper was impossible to answer!

Miss explained that the second page was gonna be what we're gonna discuss for the rest of this school year. The third one's actually for high school's first years, and guess who's the lucky boy who managed to finish the last one. Miss didn't drop any hints or call out anyone's name, though. She's not into biases, she'd say, and even the class knew Sir Darian hated biases, too. Some time ago, though, when Miss called out Barry, he explained to the group who were curious about the hard questions later on. Sapph wasn't too happy to hear that they're kinda given the low jab, but Ruby and Dawn seemed to calm her down.

Class ended at around three, and surprisingly, Miss Cassandra didn't give the class any homework, unlike that teacher who put him on the spot. Weird.

Mom would usually pick him up at school, but this time was different. She now told Lucas to go with Barry on the way back home and to school. He wasn't against it, but without his Mom, it felt so different. Maybe he'll get used to it. He wondered if it'll keep on going like this till he graduated from elementary. It's only this school year left before he'd graduate, anyways, but he still hated that his mom was gonna be away for most of the week. He really hated it, but he couldn't say it to his mom; it's their living, that's why.

After saying 'see you again' to his friends that passed by him a moment ago, all he had to do now was to find Barry and ask him if he could join him going home. When Lucas was about to exit the school some two boys from the other section bumped passed him. Ah, it's those two rowdy boys again…

"Woah, sorry, Lucas! Ha ha!" the taller one of them, Fred, said.

"Yeah, Lucas!" the shorter one, Derrick, said. The two of them were now standing in front of him.

Dang, when'll they get expelled from the school, Lucas always asked himself. Those two were very infamous for bullying some younger students and those that weren't really fighting back.

"Excuse me, please, guys," Lucas said, looking away.

"Of course, Mr Lucas. Please, make your way," Fred said while showing him the way.

As Lucas was about to continue walking, the two of them double-teamed and made Lucas trip and hit the dirt, literally. All Lucas could hear were there stupid and annoying laughter.

"Hey, hey! Watch your step, Sir!" Derrick said while laughing.

Oh, he wasn't gonna cry over something like this. That was a sign of weakness, and big boys don't cry. His dad wouldn't want to see him crying from up there. He just wanted to crush them to bits when the time was right. Lucas swore on that, but then, he knew that that sorta thing would probably bring out something bad. He just had to keep it in.

"What's going on here?" someone from behind said.

"Oh shoot. It's Sir!"

Fred and Derrick quickly ran away from the area, leaving Lucas trying to get up from the ground. Dang it, he hated it when those two bullies showed up.

"Kids these days. Lucas, c'mere. I'll help you up." This voice sounded familiar.

Lucas got a hold of the teacher's hand, and it was Sir Darian who helped him up. He even dusted off Lucas' shirt, pants, and sling bag. Yup, best teacher ever.

"Does it hurt anywhere, Lucas?" Sir asked.

"N-no, Sir. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? I'll just give you some of my bandages at the teachers' room."

"No, Sir. It's alright. Thank you very much for helping me up, but I'm trying to find Barry, now."

"Ah, so you're going home already. I don't think he's still lolly-gagging around here, Lucas. Wait here, I'll accompany you home."

Wait, wait, wait. Did he hear Sir Darian right? Is his all-time fave section advisor really gonna go with him home?

"S-Sir? Are you serious?" Lucas asked with an O-shaped mouth. Sir laughed at it softly.

"Your mother specifically asked me to accompany you home for this week until further notice from her. Didn't she tell you that?"

Crud. The cell phone! Mom said that she'll be texting Lucas from time to time. He quickly got the cell phone from his bag and flipped it open. Whaddaya know, there's a message from his mom, and Sir's right! Plus, Mom's gonna be staying home for dinner… but then gonna leave after.

Lucas sighed. _I wonder when Mom'll change her work… Munch'll keep me company, at least._

"You should check for any messages from your mother every after class. Not during my lessons, though." Sir laughed a bit at the last part. "Alright, Lucas. Sit on the benches and wait for me. I'll just get my stuff and be right back shortly."

Doing as he's told, Sir quickly went back to the school. Man, was he blessed or what? His favourite teacher was gonna go with him back home, for a week, too! Sir really did feel like a father to Lucas, and that's one of the reasons why he's the best teacher in the world.

"Lucas?" someone called out to him. It's Miss Cassandra, and she's carrying her pink handbag and a brown paper bag with her.

"Oh, good afternoon, Miss Cassandra. How are you?"

"Thank you. I'm fine, but why are you still here? And have you seen Sir Darian anywhere?"

"I'm actually waiting for him, and he's in the school getting something. He said that he'll be getting some stuff in the teachers' lounge before going with me to my home."

"Really? He didn't?" Miss stopped talking for a sec, "Alright, I'll wait for him with you."

Weird. Lucas didn't see Miss Cassandra act like this, _ever_. I guess they were gonna do some important teacher stuff later, and Miss didn't have any idea at all. She sat down beside Lucas, and when she did, Sir suddenly popped out. He looked surprised to see Miss beside Lucas.

"Oh, Miss Cassandra." Sir turned to Lucas. "Lucas, we'll just have a little teacher talk for a sec. Miss?"

The two opposite teachers — that's what Lucas and some of his classmates called them both — started chit chatting away from Lucas. He saw that Miss handed him the brown paper bag, just before Sir kept it in his black backpack. They continued talking, and Miss looked shocked. Lucas even noticed she looked at Lucas for a sec. He thought that Sir was explaining to Miss about what his mom told Sir.

Once they finished, both of them came to Lucas.

"Lucas," Miss started, "Sir Darian and I just decided that we'll **both** accompany you back home for the week. Are you okay with that?"

Miss Cassandra? Well, Lucas was 100% okay with Sir Darian alone, but with her? It was alright, but she's kinda… y'know…

Miss then sighed and looked away. "I understand. I'll just—"

"No, wait, Miss! It's alright, really!"

Miss got surprised real quick. "Oh, uh. Thank you, I guess? But I won't force—"

"It's alright, Miss! I was just thinking about… uh… dinner, yeah!"

 _What kinda lame excuse was that, Lucas?! This a teacher right in front of you, and she's offering help!_

Sir smiled and looked away. Lucas knew that this was a funny scene for him, and Miss looked like… she pouted?

"V-very well, Lucas. Just don't be fickle again. Am I clear?"

Uh oh. The anger was kinda obvious now. "Y-yes, Miss!"

Shoot, that was close! Lucas bet she'd get mad and give me homework like tomorrow won't ever come, and she's really, really scary when she got mad!

"Heh. Anyway, shall we get going? I'm curious to see how Twinleaf looks in a while," Sir said.

Lucas nodded. "Y-yes, Sir. The sun's still up, and it's just about to be four. I think we can still make it while there's still some sunlight."

And right there, the two teachers and their student started going home. Lucas kinda felt happy that some parent-like people were with him in going home.

On their way back to Lucas' home, they passed by some people hanging around with their pokémon by Route 202. Once they reached Sandgem Town, they stopped by a convenience store for a snack. Miss Cassandra offered to pay for their snacks, like, woah. Sir Darian took out the brown bag he kept in his backpack and took out a sandwich inside. Miss came back with three sodas and two smaller sandwiches. The two teachers sat in front of Lucas, and the three wiped their hands with the wet wipes given on the table. This has got to be the best first day of classes ever.

"Thank you for the food, Miss," Lucas said with a smile. "Oh boy, tuna sandwich!"

Miss smiled back. "You're welcome, Lucas."

Lucas began eating his sandwich. Ah, tuna sandwich. He's been wanting to eat this for quite a while already. It's like she read his mind, too!

"So, Lucas," Sir Darian started. "How was your first day of classes?"

"Sir, it's just alright. Same old faces, and I was kinda shocked to hear that there's gonna be a new classmate coming in."

"Oh, right. Your section is going to have a single addition," Miss said while sipping her soda. "More students, huh…" Miss looked away for a moment.

"Here's a hint for you, Lucas: I bet you're going to be good friends with your new classmate," Sir stated. "Call it a teacher's intuition."

Lucas didn't really quite get that, but he just nodded anyway. "Also Sir, I'm kinda surprised that we have homework for Intermediate Battling 2, even more surprised that Miss Cassandra didn't give any homework for the first day of classes, for the first time! She sure seems more relaxed than her usual high-blood self before!"

The Maths teacher raised an eyebrow while the History and English teacher laughed. Whoops, Lucas shouldn't have said that in a happy tone.

Miss smiled, scarily. "You really want to test my patience, do you, Lucas?"

 _Oh, crud._

"Relax, Miss. Lucas was just joking," Sir spoke for Lucas. "Just take it easy, Miss, and you really should relax more to prevent getting high blood." Dang, nice one, Sir!

Miss turned to the teacher beside her. "One more from both of you, and we'll see who has the last laugh." Sir was just laughing quietly beside Miss. Lucas swore he heard Miss say a bad word quietly.

Lucas was laughing a bit, but he turned quiet and looked like he's thinking about something while he ate and drank. Even though it's been a week and the first day of classes started already, he still couldn't stop thinking about Mes, Tyson, and his mom's work.

"You seem troubled, Lucas. Is it about those bullies from an hour ago?" Sir asked.

Miss suddenly turned serious. "Bullies? Tsk, those two rascals. I swear one more from those two…"

"Well, kinda, Sir. I'm thinking about something else other than those bullies, though."

"Do you want to open up about it?" Sir asked.

He can't share anything related to his mom's new work, so he decided to go for how Mes stopped meeting him just like that. Lucas began to choose his words carefully. He wanted to let someone like Sir know, but he should know what to say now since something like last noon might happen again. Also, Miss was here. He should keep the secret between Mes and him.

"Sir, I have this one childhood friend from before."

 _Yeah, I think that's good._

After finishing his food and drink, Lucas continued to tell the story of how his childhood friend, Mes, just suddenly stopped talking to him a week ago. He continued by saying that it was bugging him a lot 'cause that person was a very good friend. A bit hyper, but that friend was someone as close as to him like how Barry was to Lucas. Also, the death of his neighbour and senior kinda bugged him too. Sir Darian and Miss Cassandra were listening very closely.

"Hmm. Lucas, let's hurry along back to your home now. We might be arriving later than expected," Sir said.

"I agree with Sir Darian, Lucas. Let's pick up the pace and just talk while we're on the way," Miss added.

Saying yes, the three threw their trash away and left for Twinleaf. On their way back home, Sir started speaking to Lucas.

"It appears that this friend of yours had something important to do that caused them to be absent for a week, as you said. Just between you and me, people usually don't disappear without a reason. Also, if they stopped talking to you just suddenly and without warning, then something bad might've happened to them. Frankly, they might've run into trouble."

Something bad happened to Mes? W-what could have happened…

 _No._

No. Lucas had to suck up his old self, now. Mes was a legendary pokémon. She could handle whatever the heck was going on around her!

"Sir, don't make Lucas any more worried!" Miss suddenly jumped in.

"Lucas ought to know, Miss. I know Lucas could handle it. Besides," Sir turned to Lucas "it's only the worst case scenario. I'm not yet done explaining."

"Y-yeah, Miss. I'm a big boy, now."

Miss grumbled and looked away.

"Although, I'm quite confident that this friend of yours is just off somewhere important, most likely whisked away by their parents or something. Maybe they got scolded and had to be somewhere to be disciplined since they did something wrong. I'm just making situations up, so don't rely on me for your friend's welfare or basically what's going with them."

Lucas thought about it. Disciplined? Scolded? Just who'd punish a legendary pokémon like that? Those were weird answers from Sir Darian. Lucas just decided not to make his head any more dizzy than it was. He didn't really understand everything Sir was saying, but he somehow got the idea.

"They'll come back. I'm sure of it. As for the upperclassman of yours, I'm sure that he's in a better place now, so I wouldn't worry too much for both cases if I were you."

Sir's right. Lucas was a worrywart, and he needed to practice to stop worrying about a lot of stuff. He's about to be in middle school

"I've been meaning to ask; how old is your friend, anyway?"

"She — I mean, he, uh, oh no, argh, dang it!"

 _Oh no, I spilled the beans! Crud-crud-crud!_

"Oh, so that's why you're concerned, Lucas," Sir commented with a smile. "Heard that, Miss?"

Miss started laughing softly. "Loud and clear."

"H-hey! She's probably as old as me, but I don't have a crush on her!" Lucas replied while blushing. Dang it!

"Woah now, Lucas. We never asked if _she_ was your crush. You just happened to tell us that out of the blue," Sir said, and Lucas felt that Sir was trying to shove his mistake at his face.

"Aww. Sir…"

"Don't worry, Lucas," Miss said. "We'll keep this conversation a secret if you don't tell anyone, maybe except Barry and Dawn, that Sir Darian and I are accompanying you home just for this week."

"Yes, Miss…" Lucas really sounded like he lost the battle there.

This sucked really hard for Lucas. Well, on the bright side, they didn't know that his friend was a legendary pokémon. Lucas was still safe, but he decided not to talk anymore about Mes, or anything that had something to do with Mes. And whaddaya know, they're near Twinleaf already! Finally, home sweet home.

"Perfect timing. We're near your place Lucas, and the sun's still up. Ah, Before I forget, though," Sir Darian took out a few bandages from his pocket and gave it to Lucas, "here are some bandages for your wounds."

Lucas smiled warmly at Sir's kindness. "Thank you very much, Sir."

Miss had a suspicious face, though. "What wounds, Sir?" she asked.

Sir sighed. "From those two rascals, Miss."

Miss looked like she could break the straps of her handbag just by gripping them, 'cause she looked like she could flip any moment. "Those…! Hmph!"

"Miss Cassandra and I will do something about those two bullies, Lucas. Don't worry about anything. Just rest well and wash yourself to prevent any infection from occurring," Sir said.

Whenever Sir Darian said 'don't worry', it always made Lucas feel like he could kick back and relax with zero worries. Really, there was _never_ a time when he didn't make Lucas or his classmates feel unsafe. Miss Cassandra, too, but she's just too strict for Lucas and his classmates.

Once they reached the flower fields near Twinleaf, the three stopped for a moment.

"Thank you, thank you so much again, Sir Darian and Miss Cassandra. It means so much to me to be accompanied by—"

 **"LUCAS!"**

Crud, the blond-haired genius came running to Lucas again, and what great timing, too. "There you are! Where the heck were you?! Your mo—"

Barry suddenly stopped when he saw that two of his teachers were literally in front of him. One was smiling while the other was looking pretty mad that they got interrupted.

"Oh, uh. See ya, Lucas!" With that, Barry disappeared into the town.

"Sometimes," Miss Cassandra started, "I wonder how you keep up with that eccentric genius, Lucas."

"I think you know he's my best friend, Miss, and believe me, it's tough keeping up with him," Lucas replied. "Uh, as I was saying, thank you very much for accompanying me, Sir Darian and Miss Cassandra. Would you like to pay a visit to my home for just a moment?"

Sir Darian placed his right hand on his chest and nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality, Lucas, but we have to get going now. We still have some important work to do later on. One of these days, we'll do a home visitation to each of our students, so you may look forward to it."

"We'll also inform your mother on our part via text that we have successfully accompanied you back here," Miss added.

"Thank you once more, Sir and Miss. Please take care on your way back, too."

"We will. Good-bye, Lucas, and please send our regards to your mother," Miss replied when the two teachers left for where they're going.

Lucas immediately started running for home, but suddenly felt something stinging on his knee. It must've been from earlier. Those danged bullies really were getting on Lucas' nerves. He quickly put on a bandage before running back to his home. Barry must've gone back home already 'cause Lucas' didn't see him outside.

"Whew!" Lucas puffed out a breath of air once he reached his door.

 _This day just keeps getting weirder, but better! Mom's gonna flip when she finds out about what happened today…_

Opening the door, he greeted his mom, "Mom, I'm home. You're not gonna be—"

"Oh, Lu! Great timing, there's someone important who wants to meet you!"

Huh, weirder and weirder. Anyway, Lucas just decided to go with the flow. He placed his bag on the nearby sofa and hid his bandages in his pocket. He kinda hoped his mom won't notice he tripped and fell 'cause of some two stupid bullies.

Once they reached the kitchen, there were two people who he didn't know in front of him. One looked like a foreigner, and the other one looked like his age.

Lucas grew a bit afraid and took a small step back. _Mom… Just who are these people?_

"Good afternoon, Dearie. You must be Lucas," a woman with brown skin said. "It's alright. I'm a friend of your mother, and this is my daughter, Mary." The woman turned to her daughter. "Dear, please greet our new neighbour."

"Hi! I'm Mary, and we're gonna be your new neighbours!" The girl with a skin colour the same as Lucas, a little fairer though, waved at him. She came closer to Lucas. "You're Lu… cas, right?"

The girl reached out her hand for a handshake, saying something that nearly broke his mind,

 **"Nice to meet 'cha!"**

Lucas' eyes grew big. Something was wrong. Something was _really_ wrong! **This doesn't make any sense!**

… _No way._

"Lu, do you want to introduce yourself?"

 _That girl… There's no way!_

"Um, Lucas?"

 _That girl's voice! It's impossible!_

* * *

 **UknownHero: Glad you realised the reference xD. It's one of my all-time favourite games.**

 **Guest: No. I don't think I will. Hehe**

 **Greninjaten99: Nice description, and you have a good eye as well, sir. Thank you, and take care as well amidst the situation.**

 **Anon Omega: That's alright, and thanks for your appreciation. :D**

 **The Crystal Brick: They're powerful, yup, and they'll come up with various, weird ways to prevent it, and sometimes with over-the-top consequences.**

 **Well, I guess I'll be more active now. Thanks to those who've still stuck by in the end, keep safe out there amidst the situation right now. Keep a healthy lifestyle, and please follow the protocols established by your governments.**


	13. 1-13: Mini-Reunion & Payback

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

 _ **Last edited on: 16th of May 2020**_

* * *

 **"Nice to meet 'cha!"**

That's what the girl said. That's what _she_ also said when they had their 'first meetings'! But, it's just too weird!

"Lu, do you want to introduce yourself?"

No, no. Lucas was just probably tired from school. Yeah, that's it! Maybe Lucas should dive straight to bed after this. Why's he freaking out, again?

"Um, Lucas?"

Oh wait. it's _that_! Her _voice_! It's impossible, it's heck-a impossible! It's like she's—

"Uh, Lu?" his mom whispered to Lucas. "Did you just get a new crush? You've been staring at her face."

 _C-crush?_ Lucas just realised that he's been making the guest awkward. _Oh shoot!_

"AH! S-sorry about that! M-Mary, right? I-I'm very sorry for that." Lucas quickly grabbed her hand and shook it. She kinda jumped a bit. "I'm Lucas, by the way. N-nice meeting you."

 _Dangit, I blew it!_

The girl just smiled. "Oh. It's okay, Lucas!"

Great. Just great. Lucas wanted to jump off a cliff right now. He's blushing too hard in front of this girl. This was way too embarrassing for him, especially in front Mom and her friend! Aw, man. Aw, man!

"Johanna-dear, I think it's best to have our children warm up to each other first. Let's have our adult-talk outside, if that's alright with you?" The foreigner lady finished drinking from her cup and stood up from the chair.

"But of course, Ms. Tabangon! I was also planning to show you what the house looks like." Mom turned to Lucas and had that 'mom' look on her. "Please behave with our guest, now. Okay, Lu?" His mom patted him. Oh yeah, the headpats really wiped his worries away.

Yeah, maybe he was just overacting a moment ago. Maybe it's 'cause he was tired and he needed to sleep right after dinner. He'd walk to his home from school, but it wasn't a pain in the butt. Anyway, he'd better say sorry one more time to Mary for acting like a weirdo.

 _Dangit, this sucks…_

"Y-yes, Mom. I'm sorry. I just got home from school. Take care outside, too, Mom and Miss… Tabangon, was it, Miss?"

Ms. Tabangon nodded and smiled. "Yes, Dear. You can call me Tita Emi if you want."

'Tita'? Was she Spanish or something? She did kinda look like one though, but that really didn't matter.

"Mary-dear?" Tita Emi turned to Mary. "Please behave as well with our dear Lucas, alright?"

Mary nodded. Later on, Tita Emi and Mom left the house, so that left Lucas and Mary in the house. Lucas let Mary follow him to the sofa where he placed his bag. The two crashed there and just rested. Lucas was yawning 'cause school — and two _very_ friendly schoolmates — made his totally restless day.

"You have a nice house, Lucas. I like it!" Mary said.

"Oh, thanks. Owe it all to Mom for making it look home-y," Lucas replied and yawned again.

"You're awfully tired, huh, Lucas?" Mary started asking.

"Yeah, I am. School's tiring, and it's just our first day."

"Well, I feel you." Mary giggled. "Must be hard when you get bossed around by your superiors, right? You just wanna kick their asses one day to make them shut up." She punched the air after saying that.

Woah. Mary's language sure is kinda dirty and straight-up honest. It's like… Nah, can't be. Lucas told himself again not to go on with that stupid idea.

"Um, actually. There's just one teacher, but the rest are okay." Lucas would've said Miss Cassandra, but he let it slide after she gave him a small snack some time ago. He's referring to that one teacher who called him out while looking out at the window.

"I see. That's nice." She started playing with her hair. "How was your lunch by the way, Lucas?"

"Lunch? Oh, I cooked it myself, and it's not that bad. I just had some rice, fish meat, and berries." Lucas scratched his head. "I could've sworn there were more berries than how much I put in, but I really didn't think much about it. Food is food, y'know?"

Lucas and Mary laughed a bit. Huh, she's actually a nice friend to talk to, kinda like Dawn and very, very unlike Barry.

"I'm sure you just happened to put more without knowing, or maybe some pokémon snuck in and added just a teensy-weensy bit more," Mary explained.

That's a kinda good answer, but only Munch was with him when he prepared it. "Really? Then my pokémon or I should've noticed back then."

"What if," Mary put her hand under her chin and looked up, "that pokémon went invisible and levitated right behind you when you weren't looking? That might've happened."

"Thanks to them, I guess, but won't Munch notice it? I'm sure munchlaxes could detect them." Well, that was what he read up last week about munchlaxes.

Mary smiled. "Oh, some pokémon are just way too good at hiding, Lu~cas."

 _Okay, that's a bit of a creepy way to say my name._ Lucas was getting a little uneasy. In the end, he just ignored it.

Speaking of Munch, Lucas should let him out of his poké ball by now. Poor critter might wanna get some fresh air after being stuck in his poké ball the whole time.

"Oh, hang on, Mary. I'll just let out my partner, Munch, out. If that's okay—"

"Wait up, Lucas!"

Mary quickly grabbed Lucas' arm with both her hands when he was about to stand up. Lucas jumped after being surprised. He swore that her grip's a bit tight.

"Would it be alright if it's just us two talking, for now? I… uh… wanna get to know you more. Please?"

Lucas felt weirded out, but his mom taught him to always listen to what the guest wants. Especially that it's his mom's friend he didn't know till now, he had to listen to Mary's request. It's for the best, he guessed. She even said 'please' at the end. It's just weird that she's kinda bossy in his own house.

"Um, alright, Mary." Lucas crashed back to the sofa.

"Aw, thank you, Lucas! Sorry for suddenly jumping like that, hee hee~" Mary replied.

 _No, Lucas. It's not Mes. She just happens to sound like Mes, that's all._

Lucas sighed and closed his eyes a bit. He's not gonna think too hard about it, no sir-ree. He should just chill and get to know his new neighbour.

Oh yeah, Lucas felt like he should say 'sorry' again, just to make sure that she knew why he looked like a weirdo. He wanted to clear up any bad thoughts he guessed that she might have now. Still, he was getting creeped out a little bit by Mary 'cause she's just getting weird.

"Mary?"

"Yes, Lucas?"

Lucas put on an apologetic face. "I'm sorry, too."

Mary looked confused. "H-huh? For what?"

"I kinda acted like a weirdo the way I stared at you before I shook your hand, so I'm really sorry if I looked—"

"No-no! It's fine, really!" She quickly held his hands "Don't worry about it, Lucas!"

"Um, Mary?" Lucas said while looking down to his hands.

"A-ah." She quickly let go of his hands. "S-sorry about that." She looked away and played with her fingers.

 _Huh, bingo… Guess I was right after all._

Lucas didn't feel weirded out now, but he's growing more uneasy, but also excited. He felt that his feeling tired's been swapped out with excitement. The picture's becoming a little clearer, but he needed some investigation, video game-style. If he said that he wasn't gonna think about it that much just a moment ago, then he wanted to refund his words. This girl's acting more and more like **her** , so he went to ask her why she's like that.

 _I mean, she's a legendary pokémon! I'm sure that doing those crazy stuff is a piece of cake for them._ He meant changing into a human like in those video games and TV shows.

"Mary? Hope I don't sound rude, but aren't you acting a bit _too_ buddy-buddy with me?" Lucas asked with the politest voice he could use.

"Oh, about that, Lucas," Mary held her pink sweater shirt and played its buttons, "it's just that you **remind me so much of a very cute friend of mine**." She smiled and closed her golden eyes. It's like her emotions did a 180 from nervous to… confident?

 _She said it. Just a little more, and I'll really know who this 'Mary' is._

This was it. It looked like he's gonna go with that wacky guess, but it's finally time for Lucas to answer his million-dollar question. He's actually gonna pull off those turnabout-stuff like in those video games he played with his classmates.

"Oh really? Y'know, it's like I'm **talking to a very special friend of mine, too**." Lucas replied. He's trying to hide his real feelings, but he already knew that it's pretty much useless now.

"A-ah~ S-special~?" Mary — nah, the _mystery girl_ put her hands on her cheeks while twisting around. "Is that really how you look at this friend of yours, Lucas?"

Okay, maybe what she's doing's weird and all, but Lucas smiled and felt a bit… what's that word… 'nostalgic'. The girl in front of him was getting kinda shaky, but he just decided to go with what the heck's going on.

"I mean, yeah. She's one-of-a-kind, bubbly, a bit hyper, runs her mouth a lot, and hates spicy food. Oh, and she's very, very kind-hearted… Mary?"

Uh oh. Mary's breathing can be heard already. Lucas could even see her face was becoming redder, and she was getting shakier. Maybe he shouldn't have continued complimenting her. Wait a minute, it's like she's about to fall!

"Um, Mary? Are you alright?"

"I d-don't know, L-Lucas. M-maybe~ S-something's g-gotten into me." It's like she had a hard time replying to Lucas, and this didn't look good at all.

Lucas was a bit scared for her now. "H-hang on, Mary. I'll get you a glass of water."

"No."

She used both hands to stop Lucas from going to the kitchen. Her voice changed again so quickly. Seriously, is that another legendary pokémon thing?

"Please just stay here with me, Lukey."

"Mary? What's—"

"Quiet." She now hugged Lucas while resting her head under his neck. She wasn't looking at him, though. Okay… she might be a bit touchy-feely and rude for a 'nice to see you again'. "Please stop calling me by my disgusting human name, Lukey. I hate it."

Oh, wow. Lucas really missed that 'hate for humans', too… not. Still, it'd be very bad for him and her to say even 'Mes' out loud. What if his mom heard him? What if his airhead best friend heard him? He'd have to think of a good excuse for that.

"I don't care. She's not here, and he's not here." Dang, Lucas forgot she could read minds and all that crud.

Lucas gulped. "A-alright, Ma — Mes. You're kinda freaking me out, y'know?" He only got the silent treatment. "M-Mes? You alright?"

"Seven days. One human hour. 36 human seconds and counting," Mes replied. What the heck, now she's like a robot. "That's when I last touched and saw you, Lukey." That's a weird way to put it. "In between, my sister slapped me in the face; I was scolded by my bosses; I had to let them know the truth of six years; and, I was told to face detention. This all happened on the first day, or night, or midnight, or whatever! I hated it!" Mes said while shaking and hugging Lucas tighter.

 _S-so this was why she was gone for a week…_ It all made sense to Lucas, but that part when she said 'truth'—

"I had no choice but to tell it, Lukey!" she screamed, kinda loudly, and he could hear… sniffling? "I really, really, really missed you!"

Oh no, she's gonna cry, again. Lucas hugged her back and patted her back. It's what friends are for, and Lucas, even though he was pretty much used to this, had to comfort her some way.

"They… they were gonna take me _away_ from you! A-and then, they were gonna literally erase your memories with _for good_ , with or without my help. I didn't want that, and I know you don't want that," Mes looked at Lucas straight in the eye with her teary golden eyes, "right, Lukey?" Holy — they were gonna take his memories with Mes away? Crud, that's crazy talk! Just why would they do that? Lucas didn't really get the whole picture, but that's just plain wrong! Mes looked away for a sec. "You wouldn't get it, Lukey… You're too young for this — sorry for the word — bullshit." Lucas' face turned kinda sour when he heard that, but let it slide. "Once you're older, I guess you could get it. But!" She turned back to him with the same eyes. "But you wouldn't want that, right?!"

Lucas didn't know how to answer that, but if it meant losing Mes, then that was bad. She was the one — **the only one** — who could truly feel him, from when his dad passed away till now. Lucas completely changed when his dad passed away, and only _she_ could get how he felt. If she was gone, then how could anyone ever get him? His mom or Barry, maybe, but it's like they never got the whole picture. He'd be all alone. _Alone_. And no one knew the feeling of it. All those years of friendship, gone to garbage. Lucas even felt watery eyes now, and he put his head beside hers.

"No, Mes. I don't wanna think about it."

When he's with her, he'd feel even more than at home. It's a weird feeling, but it's something like finally being with a crush and being with Mom. Lucas didn't want her to just poof out of him. No, he can't let that happen.

"Lukey…" Maybe Mes could really understand him right now. That's probably why she's the one patting his back, now. It really felt like something else. "Thank you so much for understanding, Lukey, and I'm sorry for being the first one to break our pinky-promise," she said. "I think I'm a bad, bad friend for doing that."

"No, don't say that, Mes. I kinda don't really care if you did. I think you had to do it for super-important stuff," Lucas replied. "And, Mes?"

Lucas looked at Mes' cute golden eyes. Yup, he could tell that it's still the same ol' hyper Mesprit from all this time.

"L-Lukey?" she asked with a squeaky voice. Dang, that's just too cute!

Lucas put a hand on her shoulder and said, with a smile, "I missed you, too!"

When she heard that, she started tearing up even more. Oh man, That stuff usually worked in video games. Just what did he do wrong, he asked himself.

"L-Lukey… Oh, Lukey~!" she said when she looked back at him.

"Erm, Mes? I think we should already—" Wait a minute, her eyes aren't golden anymore. They're _black_!

Dangit, it's come to this, again! He knew what he had to do: keep his distance a bit. Why? 'Cause she's gonna act all weird like those crazy people in the movies!

"Why're you going away from me, Lukey~? Don't be shy~! Come back here, and I'll show you what _real_ maturity is!" she said while slowly inching closer to him. Dangit, he knew what's gonna happen next, and he's not gonna fall for those tricks of hers!

 _Dangit, I don't really wanna do this to her, but this'll go haywire if I don't act fast!_

Acting fast, Lucas held her by the shoulders, making her gasp, and then he literally shook the heck outta her. Crud, he did NOT wanna see her go haywire! No sir! Anything but that!

"H-huh? Lukey? What's going on?" Oh great, her eyes turned golden once again. "W-why're you holding my shoulders?"

"Sorry, but your eyes turned black like last time, Mes. It looked like you were gonna jump on me like last time."

"Jump on — ah! I-I'm so sorry, Lukey!" She turned away from him and hugged her legs, curling up like a ball and all that. Sneaking a peek, her face looked like she just wanted to jump off a cliff, too. "I let it out again…"

He sighed. "It's alright, Mes."

 _Jeez, what a reunion… and I really hate it when she does that._ Lucas remembered the first time she did that to him many years ago. Dang, he swore that he was gonna call an adult or Barry to kick her butt when she tackled him with those scary-looking black eyes. _Good thing I stopped it in the nick of time, whew!_

Lucas let out a big sigh. This was pretty awkward, but it's still rude to keep guests quiet and uneasy. "Oh, uh, hey! Y-you thirsty, Mes? I can get us some water."

"S-sure thing, Lukey. T-thanks, too," she replied, still curled up and all. Time to drink some fresh water 'cause he's pooped!

"Alright. I'll just — ack!"

"Lukey?!"

Crud, that must be the wound! Lucas felt Mes go near him and hold his shoulder.

"W-what's wrong, Lukey? Did I do something bad to you?" Mes really sounded worried.

"I-it's nothing, Mes," Lucas lied. "I can fix this."

When Lucas got the bandages from his, Mes quickly held his arm and looked him in the face.

"No, Lukey." Mes shook her head. "Don't give me that. I don't really know what happened, but it's probably my fault that you're hurt. I should be the one to fix it. Besides," her other hand started glowing pink, "I can fix minor wounds and injuries, remember?"

Huh, she's serious about it. She didn't actually do anything, but maybe it'd be better if she treated it herself. She's a legendary pokémon, after all!

"Alright, Mes, you win." He slid the bandages back in his pocket.

"So, where does it hurt, Lukey?" she said when she sat on the floor. "C'mon, show me!"

"Alright, alright. Relax, jeez." Lucas pulled up his pants up to his knees, and the wound looked like it got worse. Heck, it's painful, and the blood started to come out. Hey, there's even another scratch on the other knee.

Mes' face looked broken. "Oh no… I-I'll fix this, don't worry!" She quickly put both hands on the wounds on the knees. Mes really sounded worried for a sec there.

The healing process was kinda fast, and she even got the dust off them. Hm, maybe he should show his elbows, too.

"Um, Mes? Can you also do my elbows? Kinda dirty, too."

Mes' face was really, really looking worried there. Maybe he shouldn't have asked.

"O-of course! Anything for you, Lukey. I'm so, so sorry once more if I was being rough on you," she said when she was cleaning up the small cuts and dust there.

Lucas just sighed. "Oh, it's alright, Mes. You didn't do anything crazy for now."

"B-but, didn't I let my wild side go off?" Huh, she's whimpering like my mom when she loses some important stuff. "And hey! Don't you start comparing me to anyone, Lukey!"

"I'm joking, Mes. Tried to pull your leg for once, y'know?" Lucas said. Mes just grumbled right after.

"S-still. I shouldn't get too overboard with you, Lukey. Look, you just got hurt because of me."

"Oh, c'mon, Mes. Listen to me for a sec. You weren't the one who hurt me, alright? You got those weird black eyes, but it wasn't you at all."

"No, no. I know it was me, Lukey!" Mes looked away for a moment. "Uh, well, I don't really know 'cause I wasn't really _me_ at that time, but still!"

Dang, she's really pushing that she did it. Lucas was getting tired of Mes sounding really sorry. He didn't want to tell her, but he wanted to calm her down quickly. Mes freaking out was the last thing Lucas wanted to see. Oh boy, it's like speaking to Barry and Dawn at the same time.

"Mes, really. Calm down, okay? Deep breaths, deep breaths. Sit here beside me, too." Mes did as what Lucas told her to do. Her breathing was getting slower, and she was calming down pretty fast. Finally! "Okay, so you're gonna listen to me, alright?" Lucas said.

Mes nodded slowly. "R-right, Lukey."

"I got those wounds because I got bu — I tripped in school, alright?" Lucas even smiled at the end.

"Wait, hold on," Mes said, strongly. Well, guess the smile didn't work. "You were saying something else, Lukey. I believe that you tripped, but what'd you say before that?"

"Uh, noth—"

 _Wait, what's the point in hiding?_

Lucas knew very well his friend in front of him could read minds. Heck, since day one of their meeting, she's been doing it pretty easily. Perks of being a psychic-type pokémon, he guessed.

"Lukey," Mes cut his thoughts, "I just wanna make something clear with you. Again, if you've forgotten."

"Yeah, Mes?" Uh oh. If Lucas forgot something in front of her, that really wouldn't end well.

Mes started giggling. "Relax, Lukey. If you're thinking that I'm gonna kick your ass if you forgot something, then I'm just joking. I wouldn't do that to you! Maybe get annoyed, but not hurt you!" Lucas sighed and felt relieved when she said that. "But as I was saying," Mes continued, "I really don't want you to get the wrong idea when it comes to me reading your mind, or anyone's mind!"

"What do you mean, Mes?"

"I mean, you really shouldn't feel discouraged or forced to speak when you're talking to me, at least. I'll only read your mind when it's very, very needed. I won't chuck out what's in your head every single time we speak, Lukey. N-not literally, alright, Lukey?" Mes corrected herself quickly, and Lucas laughed at her funny expression. "Anyway, my point's this: don't feel weirded out or forced to speak out what's on your mind when talking to me. If it's gonna make you feel better, I'll avoid reading your thoughts more fervently next time. Think of me as… a normal… urgh…" Mes looked like she's having a hard time speaking the last part.

"As a normal what, Mes?"

"Normal h-h-hyu-hyu-human. Urgh!" Mes' face turned sour. "Think-of-me-as-a-normal-human when talking to me, alright?" Her first words were kinda fast, but Lucas got the gist. He could feel that her blood was boiling when she said _that_ word.

"You really can't shake that feeling off, huh, Mes?"

Mes paused for a moment and frowned before speaking. "You know why, Lukey. Just… please answer my question."

He really couldn't do anything, so he just nodded as a reply. He didn't get what 'fervently' meant, though, but he got the idea of what she wanted to say. Mes smiled once more. There's the smile he wanted to see.

"So, Lukey? What were you saying before you tripped? That you got what?"

Lucas sighed. Maybe he really shouldn't be manning up at some times. The truth's gotta come out some day, his dad and even Mes would tell him before.

"I was saying that I got b-bullied, so that's why I tripped and got those wounds, Mes."

"You see? It's not all — wait, what?" Uh oh. Lucas knew where this was heading. This was also why he didn't wanna tell her at all. "Lukey?" Mes' eyes were glowing, and her hair was even rising! "Did you say you were _bullied_?"

Lucas gulped. "Y-yes, Mes."

Oh no. Oh no! An angry Mes wasn't good! Lucas swore that he saw her eye twitch, and even some of the stuff near him shaking! He started watching what he's gonna say, or else he'll get something nasty!

"Lukey," Mes started, "were they the same people from last time?"

Oh dang! The last time Lucas told Mes — no actually, when Mes found out that someone was bullying Lucas, Mes' reaction wasn't very good to look at. He could clearly remember Mes asking him where they lived. Heck, after a few days, those guys even changed schools! Lucas wondered just what happened with those former bullies, or what Mes did to those bullies.

"N-no, Mes. They're two different students."

"How long were they bullying you?"

"S-since last school year, a-after winter break."

S-shoot! Her hair's becoming like her pokémon form's pigtails, and her eyes were glowing brighter, too! Dang, even more of the stuff around Lucas were shaking!

"Where do they live?" Mes asked, but her voice wasn't the cheerful type at all! He knew better than to rub her off when she's mad, and he didn't want another one of those 'special treatments'!

"I-I'm sure in Jubilife City, but I don't know where exactly."

"Lukey."

Lucas jumped at her scary voice. "Y-yes, Mes!"

"With your permission, may I scan your mind to know what they look like?"

"S-sure thing, Mes."

Suddenly, Lucas felt something like a zigzagging finger running in his mind, but it felt more soothing than painful.

"Hmph, pitiful humans," Mes said out of the blue. "This is why you lot shall never achieve true perfection."

W-woah, those were the exact same words from last time. Lucas was slowly beginning to understand what the strength of a legendary pokémon was, but he felt relieved when Mes slowly returned to her usual form.

"But not you, Lukey~!" Mes cheerfully said. "You're way more special than those _disgusting_ humans! You can maybe achieve great feats like us legendary pokémon if you try!" Whew, glad she's back to being the normal Mes he knew and liked, but what she said rubbed Lucas the wrong way.

Lucas frowned and looked down. "Are you sure you're not saying to make fun of me?"

Mes put her hand on Lucas' chin and the other on his cheek. "Of course not, Lukey! Here's a secret from me to you: there are some humans in the world who can achieve incredible feats with the right training, or even luck! Maybe you could get psychic powers in the future, or do something like stop a disaster from spreading!"

Cool! If that were true, then Lucas could probably start doing those awesome psychic-telekinetic mumbo-jumbo like in those video games. Mes smiled at how Lucas took in that info.

And at that moment, Lucas could already hear his mom's and Tita Emi's voices from outside. Both of them looked out of the window to see them coming back to the house.

"It's Mom and Tita Emi, Mes," Lucas said.

"Wow, I never knew that, Lukey. You might be as smart as my smartass sister!" Mes joked. Lucas rolled his eyes while Mes giggled.

Speaking about Mes' sister and Tita Emi, Lucas wanted to know more about her sister Uxie and also who 'Tita Emi' really was.

"Oh, Mes?"

"Yeah, Lukey?"

"Can I ask one last question before our parents arrive?"

"Sure thing, Lukey!"

"It's about your sister Uxie and Tita Emi's real form. I wanna know more about your so-called bossy sister, and I have a feeling that Tita Emi's a legendary pokémon too, or at least a pokémon that could transform into a human. So, can I ask why?"

Mes began playing with her hair. "About that, Lukey. Uh, how should I put this… Ah, there we go! My sister Uxie is a selfish bitch, while my 'mama' or your Tita Emi is a—"

Right there, the door was opened by Lucas' mom. Tita Emi was next to come in.

"Ah, Lu and Mary," Mom said. "Did you two behave while we were gone?"

"Yes, Mom."

 _Wanna continue this later, Mes?_

"Yes, Mrs. Kouki!"

 _"Don't worry, Lukey~ We will."_

"Very good, dears. And actually, we both have some news for the both of you." Tita Emi turned to Mom. "Johanna-dear?"

Mom nodded. "Well, Lu. Until our new neighbours finally move in, your new roommate will be your new friend, Mary."

Lucas became bug-eyed. "Huh?"

Mes stood up from the sofa. "Really?!"

"As I was saying," Mom continued, "remember our former neighbours, the late Tyson's family?"

When he heard Tyson's name, it hit a part of Lucas that made him sadder. Mes seemed to pick this up 'cause she looked worried for Lucas.

 _"L-Lukey?"_ Lucas didn't want to answer Mes about it.

"I'm sorry for bringing that up, Lucas. We already attended his wake, and we know that he's already in a better place," Mom said.

"Y-yeah, you're right, Mom. Anyways, nevermind that. What about Tyson's family?"

"About that, his family agreed to let your Tita Emi and Mary rent the house after they move their things to their new apartment in Jubilife City. It's most likely going to take two-three days for that, so while our honourable guests wait," Tita Emi laughed while Mes smiled, "they'll be staying with us. It's perfect timing as well since I was given two days off my work this week, tonight and tomorrow."

"Of course," Tita Emi added, "my dear daughter is well-behaved that she won't disturb her dear roommate during that time, right, Mary-dear?"

"Yup, Mama! I'm gonna be a good roommate to Lucas, and I'll behave during our stay, Mrs Kouki!" Mary said and smiled.

"Aw, thank you, sweetie," Mom said to Mary.

Well, this day literally keeps getting weirder and weirder. But hey, at least it's a good sign for Lucas that he'll be kept company in the house. While she's with him, Mes'll really make sure that Lucas won't get bored in the evenings.

 _"Lukey~ Hee hee~"_

 _You sound like you're planning something, Mes._

 _"Am I~?"_

 _Oh, boy…_

"Ah, would you look at the time!" Everyone looked at the clock. "It's almost 19 o' clock!" Mom faced Lucas. "Lu?"

Lucas knew that was the signal to help cook the dishes. "Yes, Mom." At least for two days Lucas could spend some more time with his mom before she goes to work again. That kinda made him happier.

"Johanna-dear, allow us to help you. You've been kind to me these years, and I want to help you in the littlest ways," Tita Emi said.

"I can help out, too!" Mes added.

Lucas smiled, and he felt something warm in his chest. It's like there was something missing that was being filled up. Hm, he didn't really know what it was, but it felt good. Yeah, he was gonna enjoy their stay till they moved into his former house.

First thing's first, he should focus on what they were gonna do.

 _Alright, Mes. I think we're having something_ spicy _for dinner._ And there, Mes quickly looked at Lukey like she wanted to smack him real bad. _I was joking, Mes!_

Mes looked like she forced a smile at Lucas. _"You better be, Lukey. You better be…"_

* * *

When Mesprit was released from her one-week detention and training on human related topics, she was assigned by the Hall to do something. It involved her duty as being one of those who bore the fragment of the Red Chain. She had to utilise her powers to prevent some catastrophic event that may bring upon chaos and destruction. She was even given this cryptic message:

 **"One mind shall open  
The red gates of space and time  
Which darkness heralds"**

And here's the continuation:

 **"Three shall be granted  
The gifts for the psyche and heart  
Aiding your mission"**

Mesprit knew that it'd involve her Lukey, some humans, her 'sisters', and a few of her colleagues, plus maybe some superiors. She also had an idea as to who might these be, but she didn't really think too hard about it. All that mattered was that she'd been given an assignment, and she had to fulfill her role as Mesprit of Lake Verity. Damn, the Hall really knows how to make the lives of the Hall members and those disgusting humans hard. And the worst part? She wasn't even given a date as to when it'd happen!

 _This sucks, but if what they promised of me being with Lukey undisturbed is true, then so be it._

That's the least of her worries today, though. The reason being that she wanted to spend favourable time with her Lukey!

He was really the cutest when he had those expressions. Ah~ she could never get bored with him. And the best part? **She gets to sleep with him**. Oh… Lukey~ If only he was of the ripe age…

"No way!" her Lukey exclaimed. "Like, you had to go that much training? Dang, you're tough!"

Basically, Mesprit filled in what her Lukey had been asking after finishing his 'homework' for tomorrow. Most of them were what she had to do during the week of absence: learning how to act like those disgusting humans. Urgh.

"Yup! All that just to drill in my head what the heck those nasty humans would do. I swear, when Az or Chief weren't there, Yux was such a bossy, know-it-all bitch!"

Her Lukey now knew pretty much everything he needed to know: her sisters, Chief's disguise, and very little about the Hall of Origins. There's still one thing she didn't tell him, though: her new assignment from the Hall. Of course, she made sure to keep him quiet about such details. She'll probably tell him one of these days, but it didn't really matter now. Hell, what's important to her was that she could _sleep with her Lukey_. That was enough to fill the void of one week's detention.

"A-alright, Mes. I know you're not really buddy-buddy with your sister, but she's still your sister. At least try to, y'know, know why she's doing it?"

"Look who's talking, Lukey!" Mesprit stuck her tongue at her Lukey; she hated it when he got the better of her sometimes, but he's got a point. Hmph! He merely sighed at what she did.

Well, even if he knew a fraction about Yux, she still kept her past a secret. It's still not the right time for him to know the _true_ relationship between Mesprit and her 'sisters', and also how she was inducted into the Hall and the events before that.

Her Lukey started yawning right after. Crap, looking at the clock, it's already 22 o' clock. Damn, were they really talking for two hours straight? It only felt like maybe a few moments passed!

"Hey, Mes?" he called her, with obvious hints of tiredness.

"Yeah, Lukey?"

Her Lukey was yawning. "I guess it's time for us to sleep. Even Munch's fast asleep already. We still have classes tomorrow."

Ah, she also filled her Lukey in that she was gonna be the new 'classmate' they were gonna have. Of course, his reactions were all 'No way!' and 'I don't believe it!'. He even said that maybe some of his friends might be… into her. Well, Mesprit couldn't care less. Those disgusting humans could fuck off for all she cared. If they tried anything, maybe they wouldn't see the light of tomorrow. Maybe~ Only one could be with her.

 _Yes, only one… My one and only~ Oh, Lukey… Just when will you realise~?_

"I'm gonna turn of the lights now, Me—"

Hah, beat him to it! With a bit of her powers, the lights went out with a click!

Mesprit put up a smug face at her Lukey. "You were saying, Lukey?"

"Uh… good night, Mes. Sleep well." Heh! Sounded quite defeated there.

"Good night, too, Lukey! Sleep well, too~!" she replied.

Mesprit took a quick glance at Munch who was distanced away from her. "Good night, Munch. Sorry again about last time, too." Munch probably didn't hear her, but she didn't care.

"Hey, Mes?" her Lukey said from his bed.

"What's up, Lukey?"

"I, uh, hope you understand why Mom had to let you sleep on the mattress on the floor."

Aw~ So sweet of him. "Don't worry, Lukey! I'm literally a few tip-toes to you, so what's the big deal?" Actually, not seeing her Lukey's face was the problem.

 _Tsk, damn his mother! If only she wasn't here right now!_

"Thanks for understanding, Mes. You're the best," he said with a yawn. Guess his school really drained his precious energy. "I have to… sleep… Me…"

"Lukey?"

Hm, no reply. Well, he falls asleep pretty quickly if he's really tired. She'll just confirm once more if he's _really_ asleep later, and she has some _methods_ she can use~

Alright, time for Mesprit to execute her plan. All she needed to do was wait for his mother to do her rounds. It wasn't too long when his mother came upstairs and saw both of them sleeping. Obviously, Mesprit pretended to be sleeping. After some time, her mother went downstairs, and a door closing was heard.

Next thing on the list was Chief. She'll be asking Mesprit for the daily report. Mesprit's done it already, so she didn't have to worry. She waited awhile for Chief to appear. Maybe her Lukey's mother was making idle chit chat with her; she didn't know.

"Mesprit-dear," a voice said after the sound of something teleporting.

It was Chief, and she was in her mew form.

"Yes, Chief," Mesprit replied and summoned two written papers. It wasn't written in any human language. They had their own writing system that was unique to them, and it's also to make those disgusting humans think it's just some random useless piece of paper with some weird writings of a bored individual in case it gets lost.

"Thank you, Dear." Chief got the papers and made them disappear. "Going to sleep soon?"

"Nah, I have one last thing to do."

"Have you included it in your report, and does it have to do anything about our Lucas-dear?"

"Yes, Chief. Also," she looked at her own chief with glaring eyes, "it's **'my'** Lukey. Don't claim him as 'ours' or 'yours'. He's mine. No one else's."

Chief raised a brow. "Oh? And what if some human or some pokémon does get to be with him forevermore?"

Mesprit smiled. "The human disappears. The pokémon, I'll think about it."

" _Kuyawa jud oy!_ " Chief clapped once and laughed quietly. "This is what makes us different from humans, Dear." Of course. Mesprit never wanted to be compared to those disgusting beings. Ever.

"Anyway, Dear," Chief now had a strict face, "don't cause anything that may arouse suspicion. You and I may be reprimanded. Remember, your assignment and being together with _your_ Lucas are on the line."

Ah, that ambiguous poem-like assignment. "Well, Chief. I know what to do, to avoid, to uphold, bla bla bla."

"My, my, Dear. Your age and your mind do not equate. In fact, the latter is still akin to those rebellious teenage humans." Chief hummed. "At least one of your personalities seems a bit mature."

For a moment there, Mesprit's mind seemed to give her a mentally smug smile. She grumbled and blushed out of embarrassment; it's one of her personalities acting up, probably the most mature one. Chief didn't have to shove it on her face, but she's right. Being holed up in that cavern for a century really slowed her maturity. She didn't want to admit it, but it's true.

"Don't you dare compare me to those filthy beings, Chief. Also," Mesprit transformed to her original form, dropping her pajamas, "it's time for me to go."

"Very well, Dear. Take care in your excursion, and do well to stay out of trouble. Good night." With that, Chief teleported out of her Lukey's room. It's about time she moved.

Oh, before she left, she tried to see if her Lukey was indeed sleeping. She knew that he's a deep sleeper, but she still wanted to test it out.

She hovered over her Lukey's sleeping body. "Lukey~?"

No response. Poking his face twice, he still didn't respond. She smiled, and started to go nearer to his ear.

"I love you, Lukey~! You're mine, and mine alone~!" she said while breathing audibly and poking his face a bit more.

Surprisingly, still no response from him. What a deep sleeper, he is! Oh~ how she'd love to stay and _de-stress with him_ at the moment, be it in her pokémon form or her disgusting human form.

But no. She still had to do something.

At that moment, Mesprit carefully removed herself from him. Then in an instant, she changed personalities with a slight headache. It's something she developed over the years since being inducted into the Hall.

Those humans had a name for it, and she remembered that it's a disorder for them. One thing that piqued Mesprit's interest was why it's even a disorder for humans. Hell, if you're able to bridge or 'make peace' these different personalities, then there'd be no problem. Humans, really. They'll remain mindless cretins if they don't get their act together.

But she didn't care. She had one objective in mind now.

 _ **Give those bullies hell.**_

With the bullies' appearances in mind and her resolve, she turned invisible. She first gave a parting kiss to her Lukey's smooth cheek, arranged her pajamas neatly, and teleported away from her Lukey's room.

She reappeared over Jubilife City, overlooking the bustling streets and lit buildings of the city. Humans and their creations. She admitted that they could achieve great things, but they're still imperfect little humans. She could feel the presence of over tens of thousands of people, but it wasn't a pain for her to locate his two bullies.

When Mesprit tapped into his innocent mind, and while she did carefully avoid any delicate and private information or memories, she successfully acquired the data needed of those two bullies. Finding them was a cinch.

Teleporting over the first bully's home, she studied the exterior of the house. It's quite pleasing to the eyes, and it seemed like it consumed a lot of unwanted resources.

Next, she studied the movements of the people inside and focused her powers to pinpoint where this 'Fred Rossa' was.

"Fred Rossa. Same age as Lukey, but a little taller. A disgusting face for a disgusting human, too," she muttered to herself. "Found you."

He seemed to be entering a room — his bedroom, maybe. In fact, the human and one more were the only ones awake in the household. Ah, a pokémon's with the human too… a poochyena. That must be his partner. Six more entities were felt — three pokémon and three humans, and it looked like they were sleeping. Perfect timing.

Once he closed the door to his bedroom, Mesprit summoned a soundproof barrier around his room. Right after, she teleported in front of his door. If someone was near her, an aura of bloodlust could be felt.

"Fred Rossa. Your — argh!" She suddenly had a headache. It's like a voice began speaking in her head.

 _Remember the code of the Hall, Mesprit! More importantly, Lukey's life mustn't be endangered in any way!_

"Yes, I understand. Don't needlessly exterminate. Lukey must not know. Lukey must be safe," she muttered.

Mesprit quietly tried to open the door, but it's locked. Sighing, she telekinetically undid the lock and entered the soundproofed room, quietly locking the door once she closed it. Her studies on human locks years ago helped her do so.

The room was hell-a messy; it's basically a dumpsite for trash. Mesprit revealed herself for the pokémon to see.

The poochyena started barking at Mesprit, alerting the disgusting human on his machine. Unfortunately for the human, the poochyena had been hypnotised by the time the human turned to look back. Before the human even got a chance to focus on Mesprit, he was hypnotised. Now, two sleeping bodies lay on the floor. Her anger metre was literally about to blow when she saw his face, but she had to keep it in.

Mesprit teleported the pokémon and the human away from the room to a nearby forest and turned the lights and machine off. She had to find the next one faster.

Teleporting to the next house, she ignored the house aesthetics and wasted no time in pinpointing the next human. Bingo, in his room with a pokémon, too.

Setting up the soundproof barrier, she hastily teleported in his room. The human and his pokémon — a nincada — were asleep, so she teleported them to the nearby forest where she put the other two. She felt relieved that this was the easiest, but the best part has come. Putting on a smile that the two would surely be afraid of, she teleported away to the forest.

 _And now, the fun begins!_

The forest could've had nearly zero visibility had it not been for the clearing, but she knew her way within the forest whether it was night or day. Oh, it's within her own abode, Lake Verity, but nearer to the city north from there than Twinleaf. She set up a Trick Room barrier beforehand to prevent escape.

Mesprit woke the two humans and their respective pokémon. They rested on a rock when they were teleported there. At least show some decency to everyone, including those scum and degenerates, Mesprit thought.

When both humans and their pokémon woke up, fear was immediately plastered on their faces, and they were trying to understand where they were. Much more did they grow scared when they saw Mesprit's body floating in front of them.

With the politest voice she could muster, she greeted them, _"Good evening, Fred Rossa and Derrick Thomas!"_

"Ah! S-stay back!" one of them said.

"W-who the hell are you?!" the other asked.

When the two humans looked at each other, they frantically started asking each other questions. Their pokémon were also restless.

Mesprit grew angry that they were ignoring them. _"Excuse me, I believe it's rude to ignore your hostess."_ With a single hand movement, the four were frozen in place. _"Thank you for your courtesy."_

The humans were whimpering already, but their pokémon seemed like they're about to tear down Mesprit with their power. She could sense it: the humans were afraid, while the pokémon were very resolved to take her down. Why must they defend such useless creatures, Mesprit asked herself.

Mesprit hovered down to the poochyena and nincada. She then spoke to them in her own tongue.

"You, poochyena."

The poochyena growled in anger at Mesprit. "Whaddaya want, Missy?! I'll bite you down if you hurt my master!"

Mesprit was amazed by the poochyena's resolve at a time like this. "Oh, my… You're a feisty one. You do realise that your master's—"

"Don't talk crap about my master, Missy!" The poochyena spat on Mesprit's face.

"Y-yeah! Atta boy, Doug!" the poochyena's owner said, but the fear was still present.

Mesprit sighed as she wiped the spit off her cheek. "I have to commend you, Doug, was it?"

"Shut up, Missy!" Doug barked and struggled to break free.

Knowing that nothing can be borne further from continuing the conversation, Mesprit turned to the nincada. "You, nincada."

Anger was also detectable from the nincada. "Lemme go, you little pixie!"

The nincada wasn't as fidgety as the poochyena, but it was still a nuisance. "I believe your master has committed some sins that need to be repented for. Do you understand where I'm getting at?"

"Shut up, pixie!" The nincada also spat on Mesprit's face, but she was able to block it with her arm. The spit felt like it burned her skin off, maybe because it's bug spit. She didn't really mind, though, since she healed her wound.

"N-nice one, Dust! J-just keep it up!" the other human cheered.

"Your name is Dust, right? Here I thought you were more civilised than that poochyena. Oh well, it can't be helped."

Seeing that the pokémon were very restless to have a well-constructed conversation, Mesprit then hovered up to the filthy humans. Just then, their fear rose exponentially, and it felt so, so good to see karma befall them! Just what happened to that courage from a moment ago, she asked herself.

 _"Fred Rossa. Derrick Thomas."_

"W-what's going on? How'd you know our names?" the taller human asked.

 _"Be quiet. I never asked you to speak."_ Mesprit painfully forced their mouths shut. Both of them were crying from the pain, and their pokémon grew wilder seeing their owners in pain. _"Now, before I let both you go, please answer my question,"_ Mesprit sent a mental image of her Lukey to the humans' minds. _"Do any of you know Lucas Kouki?"_

Mesprit released the grip on the shorter human's mouth. _"You first, Derrick Thomas."_

"L-Lucas? I-I don't know him!"

Mesprit sighed. _"The same goes for you, right, Fred Rossa?"_

"Y-yeah, I know him!"

She smiled at him and then patted his shaking head. _"Aw, aren't you honest? I'm going to have to reward you for that, but first…"_ She turned to the nincada, which had developed a bloodlust to Mesprit. She faced back to the two scared humans. _"How about this, we settle this fair 'n' square with a pokémon battle, I'll let both of you go if you defeat me. Deal?"_

"YES!" both humans said.

"But a one-against-two doesn't seem fair now, does it?" Mesprit mustered her power to summon a Double Team clone, infusing it with one of her split personalities: the most mature one. "There, better."

"Please don't resent us," the clone said, summoning three orbs around her and putting up a fighting stance. "Bullying is a form of tormenting, and it is never the answer to anything. What needs to be paid has to be paid in due time, so our sincerest apologies, humans."

The two humans were still scared, but their pokémon were riled to stand up for them. Really, it's very amusing to see their courage contradict their masters' fears.

"Boss, just lemme handle this pixie myself!" Dust said.

"Yeah, leave 'em to us, Master. You don' need to order us!" Doug barked and then faced the mesprits. "I'll bite you down, missies!"

It looked like their respective human masters understood them, even if they had the pokémon-human language barrier. Amazing, so this was what bonds are capable of.

"Doug. Dust. Are both of you ready?" the clone asked them.

"SHUT UP!" both of the opposing pokémon yelled and began charging at their respective targets.

 _"Alright, humans. Just sit tight and relax,"_ she said while ensuring they were frozen in place. Suddenly, a splitting headache happened to her, causing her to fall to the ground. "ARGH!" Horrid images of the humans being tormented began flashing in her head as she felt her vision blur.

 _Hey, hey, Mesprit! They hurt our Lukey, so they must vanish from this world!_

 _N-no! I won't do it 'cause it's against the rules!_

 _Rules, schmules! You wanna bash their heads against that rock over there and drag their bodies on the floor!_

 _Stop it. Stop it! Lukey doesn't want that, and that's… extreme. Just… go away… for now!_ Mesprit successfully repressed her violent tendencies. Unbeknownst to her, the poochyena was charging to her closeby. _Crap!_

"Oh yeah, you're mine!" Doug growled and jumped at the real one with shining teeth.

"No, you don't!" The clone fired Swift at her opponents, making Doug and Dust get blown away to give them distance. "Mesprit, are you alright?"

"Yeah… Just had a small fight with my violent side."

The clone nodded. "Alright, but shall we still prolong this farce?"

Mesprit looked at the clone with cold eyes. "No. We'll finish it now."

The clone looked puzzled. "Didn't you originally plan to prolong this? How fickle of you."

Mesprit hmphed. "I don't care. Change of plans. I want to dish out karma ASAP."

The clone sighed. "Very well. You're the mistress."

Suddenly, white needles were fired at the clone. Mesprit and the clone quickly summoned Light Screen to ward them off. Behind them, Doug was charging at them with shining canines once more. In front of them was Dust and his glowing forelimbs.

 _"Behold."_ Mesprit and the clone charged up and began glowing. Doug and Dust jumped at them when they got close. _"The power of a legendary pokémon."_

"GET AWAY YOU GUYS!" the bullies yelled at their pokémon.

Too late. Mesprit and her clone let loose a dazzling gleam of light at their cocky opponents.

"IT BURNS!" Doug howled. Meanwhile, Dust gave off a buggy cry of pain.

And just like that, the poochyena and the nincada flew to their respective masters and knocked them off their feet.

"It's prime time I return back to your psyche, Mesprit," the clone said before poofing away. Mesprit felt something enter her system, signalling it the return of her split personality.

Mesprit slowly hovered to the cowering humans. "Well, it looks like both of you lost." The replies she got were screams while they were clutching their fainted pokémon. "A deal's a deal, am I right?"

"W-why? Why're you doing this?" the shorter human asked. "You **monster**!"

"Yeah! You're a **freak**!" the other human yelled.

Mesprit closed her eyes. Monster. Freak. Name it all, but she had long been used to being called and branded such by a lot of humans. All but one, special boy. She would be hurt, but it wasn't as heavy and painful as it was before.

 _"You must think that I'm heartless too, right?"_

"Hell yeah, you are!" one said. The other one nodded. "Now let us go, dammit!"

How amusing. Their fear was still present, but courage and vengeance were slowly consuming them. Humans were really interesting creatures when backed into a corner.

"Urgh!" Dammit, the headache's acting up again!

 _C'mon, we have the power to vanquish them. So, why wait?_

 _Shut up, shut up! I… I won't… give…_

"KYARGH!" Dammit, the urge to harm was too strong, and those humans kept calling her harsh names. She couldn't suppress it, and she felt her vision fading. Her levitation was also weakening. She ultimately succumbed to it, thinking that it's best not to argue with herself any longer.

 _Fine… Take control, but don't you dare harm them!_

 _Relax, I won't._ Mesprit fell flat to the ground. The switch was now complete.

"Uh, what the hell's going on, Derrick?"

"I-I don't know, Fred, but we can move now! Let's beat it!"

The sound of the barrier being collided with rang out. The humans began banging it and screaming for help, to no avail. Meanwhile, Mesprit was slowly trying to get up. Her eyes were now coloured black.

 _"Humans. Face me."_ Mesprit swiped her hand to force the pitiful humans to face her and freeze in place. She also made their mouths shut tight that they won't needlessly scream. _"I don't care if you bully anyone, but your sick antics aren't meant for Mr. Lucas Kouki,_ my _Lukey."_

The humans began whimpering like a helpless pup. She could tell that they were both confused and frightened to the max. Hmph, their courage was just blown to bits at that.

 _"You know what? I'll just cut to the chase, as you humans would put it."_ The humans whimpered some more. _"What's that, you ask? Very well, I'll tell you."_ Mesprit closed her eyes, and her hands began to glow a bright pink.

 ** _"Your emotions shall be taken away unless you apologise to_ _Lucas."_**

She opened her eyes and then cast Hypnosis to the boys, so they won't be much of a nuisance to her. Their pokémon were moved aside as she gently healed them. Slowly approaching the helpless humans, she looked up and said with a smile, "You're going to love this, Lukey!"

Unbeknownst to Mesprit, a Shadow Ball flew to her. Good thing she blocked it in time.

"Damn, someone saw me. Gotta — shit!"

Another beam, Moonblast, came from above. Moving away in time, the attack separated Mesprit from the humans and their pokémon.

"W-who's there?" Mesprit summoned three shining orbs around her. "C'mon, show yourselves!"

Her only reply was a set of black beams raining on her, further separating her from the humans and their pokémon. After that, another set of white bullets greeted her sides. Quickly deflecting them, she unleashed Swift in all directions from the orbs revolving around her.

Suddenly, she felt a black shadow zoom past her side. And with that split second of distraction, a black tendrils wrapped Mesprit, draining her power and immobilising her. Damn, if only she wasn't distracted!

 _Crap, I thought I set up a barrier around me!_

She then felt the presence of two entities surrounding her. One of them teleported on the humans and their pokémon. Mesprit got a good look at her opponent, and damn, of all the pokémon to show up. A bright moonlight shone on her and the humans like a spotlight.

 _Well, if it isn't an old friend. If she's here, then the other one must be the one trapping me._

Darkrai and Cresselia, the Lunar Duo. These two were veterans as individuals, and they had a history of butting heads with each other a long, long time ago. Hell, Darkrai was once a notorious fugitive, but that's one story Mesprit never knew. One thing Mesprit knew was that this darkrai was tried for his actions, but then Cresselia vouched for him. Mesprit didn't really know much of the details since it was privy to the higher-ups of the Hall. And then stuff happened, they reconciled, corny drama stuff, and bla bla bla. She even thought that they might've 'taken it to the next level'. Well, they're a couple now, so maybe.

"Cress, please take care of the children and their pokémon, and please give them each your Lunar Wing," a voice came from behind Mesprit.

"Alright," the Lunar Pokémon said. With that, the five of them disappeared into the darkness, and the moonlight dimmed.

"Now then," the tendrils were released from Mesprit, "I don't think we need to introduce each other, Mes? Or is it not the original you I'm talking to right now?"

 _Can I take the—_

 _Go on. Do as you please._

Mesprit closed her eyes. "There's no need, **Darky**. And it's me." She revealed her amber eyes to the Pitch-Black Pokémon who was crossing his arms. She sensed the disappointment in him. "All I wanna know is how you were able to break the barrier."

"You can thank Cress for that."

"Yeah, sure. Let your girlfriend do all the work."

"Whatever you say, Mes," Darky shook his head while chuckling. "My turn to ask: just why did you have to do that?"

"I think you know how it feels when the wrong people hurt the person you love. That's my answer." Mesprit crossed her arms. "Don't you agree, Darky?"

Darky nodded. "I do, but I would like to point out that they are still children. Don't you think that your actions, if they succeeded, may have resulted in their mind being broken?"

"Listen to me, Darky." Mesprit hovered nearer to Darky and tapped his red collar. "I give zero fucks about how some human grows up to be. Alright? Z-E-R-O."

"As for Lucas?"

Mesprit closed her eyes, and she showed him her other personality, making her eyes look as black as his colour. "He's an exception. I love him with all my heart, and no one is allowed to get near him but me." Mesprit felt that Darky was smiling. What a softie. She quickly reverted to her original state.

Just then, the sound of something teleporting came from behind Mesprit. Damn, it's time to get another earful from one of her colleagues. Mesprit only sighed at what's to come.

"I'm here, Rai," a voice said from behind Mesprit. "Alright, Mesprit No. 100601. For violating Article 2, Heading B, Subheading—"

"Cress, enough. That's not necessary, for now." Nice. It feels good that Darky's defending Mesprit.

"Huh? Don't try to stop me, Rai!" Cressy replied while going beside Darky. "She violated—"

"Just let it slide, Cress."

Damn, it's like watching an old couple fight. How enjoyable. Soon, her Lukey and she will be the ones to have these kinds of friendly fights~ Oh, yes… Soon…

"Tsk, Rai! I have my own principles, so don't boss me around!"

"Mes here just got off from her detention earlier this morning. Also, cut her some slack; it's her first time transforming into a human."

"B-but! The children! What she was about to do might've broken the children's psyche!" Tsk, Cressy sounds like she's siding with those humans.

"I know, but can't you let it slide? What's done is done, and she won't be doing it again any time soon. We'll make sure of it. She won't be too happy if she's taken away from her…" Darky closed his eyes for a moment, " _friend_."

 _Oh shit! No way are they taking my Lukey away!_

Mesprit was suddenly at the mercy of her colleague. "C-Cressy? I-I just had a t-tantrum, yeah! Y-you'll overlook this, r-right? I-I'll stop doing these kinds of things, promise!" She's even sweating bullets right now.

 _Damn-damn-damn-damn I don't wanna be separated from my Lukey again! Please overlook this, Cressy!_

"Also," Darky added, "they somehow deserved it. They're bullies, Cress. Karma's bound to them. So please, just this once for all of us here, Cress?" Oh yeah, her boyfriend's on my side! Can't say no to him now, can she?

"I-I…" Cressy seemed conflicted at first, but she ultimately gave in. "Argh, what I wouldn't do for you! Good night!" Clutching her head, Cressy teleported away. Damn, was it that time of the month?

"That woman. Her principles and heart do conflict with each other," Darky commented. Yup, Mesprit agreed with him. "Anyway, Mes?"

"Yeah?"

"Stay out of trouble, and, uh, watch over Lucas."

Mesprit chuckled. "You don't need to tell me that, Darky. Oh, and thanks for that save. Jeez, that Cressy sure is strict."

Darky did what Mesprit called an 'eye-smile'. "She just got interrupted from her night's rest, and no problem. I know how it feels to get grilled. Anyway, we have to get going now. Good night, Mes."

Bidding each other good-bye and good night, Darky's body burst into dark feather-like dust. It's time for Mesprit to get going, too. She wondered what could've happened if Darky didn't vouch for her.

Mesprit sighed at the events that happened tonight. "What a night. Well, at least that let some steam off."

In a flash of pink light, Mesprit disappeared into the night.

* * *

 **Guest 1: Oh, I just hope I won't disappoint you all. Also, it's a personal to choice to name them as such. Hehe xD**

 **Greninjaten99: Aw, thanks! To make up for my hiatus, I'll try to keep my word limit per chapter at 10K or 11K at most.**

 **Innocuous: Yes, I am! (get the reference? xD)**

 **Mallory S. Nocturne: ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯**

 **Guest 2:** **¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Let's see!**

 **PS: Thanks for the reviews, follows, and faves! All I wish for you is that you follow whatever protocol's put up by your officials and to manage your health well. Stay safe!**


	14. 1-14: It's All in Due Time

**Remember to stay indoors as much as possible, eat healthy foods, drink water frequently, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face.  
We can help flatten the curve or stop the virus spread if we all do our part.  
In the meantime, please take care wherever you are, and enjoy!**

* * *

The school bell rang, and the classroom filled up with Lucas' classmates. When everyone got to their seats, Sir Darian came into the classroom.

"Good morning. Good morning," Sir Darian said, and yawned. "Sorry about that. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"Oh, Sir. You know, you can take the day off and go to sleep," Hilbert suggested and thumbs-upped. If Lucas said that, he'd be grounded for the rest of the week.

Sir Darian just smiled. Uh oh. "Please, no jokes right now, Hilbert. You're lucky I'm not that strict with you all unlike," Sir then scratched his head, "nah, nevermind." Whew, good thing he didn't get mad. Lucas didn't want to see Sir Darian ever _explode_. He's scary when he does it!

"So anyway, children. I'm sure all of you know already, but I'd like to introduce to you your new classmate." Sir looked to where Mes was. "Mary?"

"Yes, Sir!"

Mes stood up and walked to the front, passing by Lucas' seat.

"If you would, Mary?" Sir asked.

Mes nodded. "Good morning, classmates. My name's Mary Tabangon. You can call me 'Mes' if you want!" Just hearing her nickname made Lucas feel uneasy. "And I'm from Twinleaf Town, where that boy's from." She pointed to Lucas.

 _Oh c'mon, Mes!_

It's like a two-hit combo of words from her, and it even felt like all eyes were on him, again. Lucas blushed at what she said and looked away. He heard Dawn laughing from behind. Dang, this was embarrassing, but at least he could call her 'Mes' without breaking their promise.

 _And why'd you have to do that to me, Mes?_ Mes only giggled at Lucas. _Oh, boy…_

"Psst, Lucas!" Barry called out.

"Not now, Barry," Lucas quietly replied, knowing that Barry had a lot of questions for him later.

Sir smiled. "I see. Welcome to your new family, Mes. Any special talents, likes, dislikes, or anything in particular you'd like to share with your new friends before we start?"

Mes put a hand on her chin. "Well, not really, Sir. I'm kind of shy~"

At that moment, Lucas just felt like he had to look at Ruby. When he did, Ruby looked like he's gonna ask her a lot of questions. He even had this weird smile on. That girl-magnet wannabe. If only Ruby knew who she really was, he'd probably back off before any trouble started.

"Very well. Thank you for introducing yourself to us, Mes. Before you return, however," Sir took out a piece of paper from his desk, "may I ask everyone to stand up and collect yourselves and your things to the front, please?"

 _Must be the seating arrangements._

This usually happens when classes start for the first term or when a new term's come. When everyone got to the front, Lucas wondered where he'd be seated. He just hoped he was nearer to the front, and maybe a little closer to Mes and farther from that annoying Barry. Not that he liked her, though.

"Children, as you might've guessed, we'll be having our formal seating arrangements from here on. Afterwards, I'll have some more announcements before we begin our class in English. Are we clear, children?"

"Yes, Sir," everyone replied.

When everyone got to their new seats, Lucas was seated between Mes and Barry behind the first row and nearer to the right of the room, when looking at the board.

Oh boy, Lucas did NOT sign up for a hyper-seatmate menu for the rest of the first term. At least Dawn was in front of him, and that's enough to balance out these two hyper seatmates. Mes didn't seem to like how Lucas looked at Dawn, though, or maybe it's just him. Lucas was also near Ruby, Sapph, Hilbert, Nate, Hilda, and Rosa. He wasn't that close to the last three, though.

 _Huh, looks like we'd make a_ pretty _behaved group._ He sighed at that.

"Children, once you're ready, I have some announcements," Sir Darian said before getting a small notebook. "By the way, I was meaning to announce this yesterday, but it felt better to say it when you all are here."

 _"Looks like I'm a celebrity, Lukey!"_

Lucas sighed. _I… don't really think that's for you, Mes._

"Alright. First off, even if it's still a long way to go, I want to congratulate you all for making it this far. You all are graduating from elementary this June," he said with a smile, and the class started clapping. Some were softly cheering. "That is if you don't have any serious or grave cases that might ruin your record here in school, but I wouldn't worry about it. You all are good students, right?"

Even though Lucas and his classmates said 'yes' altogether, he could've sworn some of them weren't really… true to their word. Heck, he heard some of them giggling, and it's no wonder Barry's one of them.

Sir Darian just yawned. Huh, he really didn't get enough sleep last night. "Second, we'll be talking about your _final exams_ before you march to your graduation. I hope you all will listen to this very well."

This was it, the moment Lucas was waiting for. It's been his dream to get that 'Top 1' and to be one of the very best out there. That finals was gonna be a hard hitter.

 _I gotta pay close attention._ Lucas got his pen and flipped his notebook open. He's definitely gonna write down everything Sir said just to get that 'Top 1' title.

"As some of you might know, the Grade 6's and Grade 12's exams are similar to each other, making them stand out from the rest. In fact, you might as well enjoy it." Sir started to write on the board. "But of course, there are certain rules to follow. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, it's this."

The board read ' **Practical Exams: Pokémon Battling** '.

Almost all of Lucas' classmates were cheering. The quiet ones just clapped their hands. Who could say 'no' to pokémon battling? Heck, this was gonna be one cool exam.

"Settle down, children. Settle down." Sir lightly tapped his desk. "Let me first explain the rest of it before you get any wild ideas."

Basically, they were still gonna get the same pen-and-paper exam for the rest of their subjects, major or not and with the exception of PE, to which some groaned 'Aw man!'. It's just that the practical exams were added, and the weight of those exams were _a teensy bit_ bigger than the major subject exams, namely English, Maths, and Science.

 _Heh, I'll ace all of 'em!_

The mechanics were explained next. Sir Darian said that they get to have a max of three pokémon for battling: only one can be their own, as long as it's registered by the in-charge, while the others have to be borrowed from the handling teacher. There'll be two pokémon for each pokémon type that they could borrow from, too. That makes it 36 pokémon available to use. Only one poké ball got to be picked from each type. They'll also get a chance to train or get used to the pokémon they borrow from the school a month before at max.

Oh, and there were some pokémon that weren't allowed to be used. Most of them were ones that could evolve or could literally hurt them real bad without meaning to. "Your safety is our responsibility," Sir said.

"Um, Sir!" Nate butted in. "Can't we just use the pokémon we have for all three slots? And why does it have to be three?"

Sir sighed. "I'm sorry, Nate, but rules are rules. This is also to make you get used to other types, to develop a bit of skillfulness, and to account for time constraints. Only when you're able to take the Grade 12 version of this exam can you be able to fill in the slots of all three pokémon with your own team. Please understand." Nate just grumbled at that.

"Also, I would request your silence for now, children. You may ask questions later on, and I hope you all listen very attentively," Sir Darian said.

Sir said that the 36 available pokémon will be different from the next session, and there would also be at least one of them may be a dual type. If Lucas guessed it right, that'd automatically go to the flying-types. The bottomline was that the same pokémon won't definitely appear in the next battle choices to pick, he said.

Next up, the stuff about the battling. Since they didn't want battles to take up a lot of time, the whole match shouldn't go beyond 30 minutes. With only three pokémon each student, there's a cap of ten minutes for each battle.

"But it's _flexible_ ," Sir said with a smile. "Meaning, if you manage to knock the opponent's pokémon out before the ten-minute mark, you get to add the remaining time to your next round, and so on if you still do it quickly."

Also, no one's allowed to use any healing stuff for their pokémon throughout the whole match, but a pokémon could hold an item beforehand. It just needed to be checked so that cheating won't happen.

Oh, and cheating was a _big_ no-no. If anyone got found out cheating, they'd get the yellow card: they'll be disqualified _for the rest of the exams_. Also, Sir added that helping out the cheater or cheaters would also end up in the same thing.

 _Kinda extreme, but I won't cheat._

"I'll give you a list of what's not allowed later on," Sir said.

To wrap up the battling part, Sir said that they had the choice to call the quits anytime midgame, stopping all points from being added to both students and giving the win to the opponent. A no-show without an excuse also makes it an auto-win to the other guy, this other gets to be rematched with someone else. He added, with a pretty serious face, that doing either was not a recommended thing to do.

 _I mean, who the heck would just give up like that?_

The last part of the explanation was the grading scheme. "You might think that if you win, you get a perfect mark. End of story, right?" Sir tapped the desk with his hand. "There are certain criteria to be met."

He said that **winning** 's just 30% of the score. Losing, from giving up midgame or not, was gonna automatically earn the student more than half of the winning points, but a disqualification or an unexcused absence was an auto-zero. The other 70% was pretty much how you played the whole match out.

The part about reaching the time limit with kinda-okay pokémon was a big question mark for Lucas, but that was answered by the rest of the points. Namely, these were the:

 **Movepool** — 25%

 **Successful Attacks Made** — 20%

 **Successful Misses** — 10%

 **Super-Effective Hits** — 10%

 **Conduct** — 5%

With the winning percentage, it all added up to 100.

"The final grade will be the average of all the results in the matches, but the last one will be of a higher weight. Well, that's your practical final exams. Any questions before I move on to the last announcement?" Sir asked.

Lots of questions came pooling in, especially from Nate and Sapph. A lot of them were just useless info that Lucas didn't need or requests to repeat some parts of the explanation. Two questions that caught his attention was if there was gonna be some guide, paper, or something that's gonna be given to them about this and _how many_ matches were there gonna be.

"As for that, there'll be one given to each one of you before your recess, and the other part, we're still making the final decisions. Again, you'll also receive the news in paper before recess" he answered. "Alright, I think I've entertained more than enough questions. Onto the next and last announcement: the additional awards for this year's batch of 'Top 3' achievers during the graduation ceremony." Oh yeah, this was what Lucas was waiting for!

Sir laughed for a moment. "You get to keep one of the pokémon you've used in all your matches. Also, the 'Top 1' gets a ribbon from one of the school's founders." Sir drew a small smiley face on the board and then smiled. "I also hear that when you graduate from Grade 12, the 'Top 3' gets some rare pokémon from a pokémon research professor before you get officially registered as a trainer. Exciting, right? You'll all get what you're due in time if you work hard," he added with a smile.

Lucas' classmates started talking to each other. He could hear them saying their fave pokémon and asking what their plans were gonna be.

"Ha! Two birds with one stone, Lucas," Barry said. "I'm definitely gonna get another one, and you know it!"

"You really need to learn when to tone down, Barry," Lucas said. He even heard Mes and Dawn laugh with him.

"Aw, don't be like that, Lucas. I'm pretty sure all of us here want one," Dawn said. "Do you, Lucas?"

Was that even a question? "Heck yeah! I'm gonna build up my own team even before I get that sweet trainer's card."

Dawn giggled. Dang, she's really cute when she does… _Wait, what the heck, Lucas?_ "How about you, Mes?" Dawn turned to her. "Do you want one?"

Mes shook her head. Of course, she's a legendary. "Not really. Actually, I already have what I need."

"Oh! Like, a partner or something?"

Huh, didn't know Mes had one. Mes put a hand under her chin. "You could say that. I pretty much don't need anything else in this world." Dawn looked so interested at Mes.

"I think you need _me_. Right, Miss Mary?" Ruby said from behind Lucas.

Uh oh, Lucas swore he saw Mes' eye become black for a sec. _"Lukey, who's that annoying little human friend of yours?"_

 _That's Ruby. Please don't mind him. He's… a bad charmer, but he's a good guy deep down._ And so did Mes ignore him. She just turned her head away from him.

Sapph snorted and laughed. "Nice going, Ruby. Real smooth," she added. Lucas heard a low grumble from Ruby.

"Settle down, children." Sir yawned while getting a book. "It's time for English, now. I hope you've noted down the important parts I said." Dang, just what time did he sleep?

"Lucas?" Barry, Ruby, Hilbert, and Nate looked at Lucas. Dangit, he knew what those lazy butts were gonna ask.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "There'll be a paper given later. Jeez, write your own notes some day." All of them, except Barry, hmphed and turned to Sir Darian. Weird, Barry'd usually do it with them.

"I just need the grading scheme, Lucas," Barry said, smiling. "Won't be long, promise!"

Dang him. Barry'd always act all kind and sweet just to get stuff. "Fine, fine." Lucas handed over his notebook to Barry, which Barry gave him a thumbs-up. There's no use saying 'no' to that airhead.

 _"Now, it looks like_ you're _the celebrity for tabulating data, Lukey."_

Lucas felt she was smugly smiling at him. _Oh, quiet you…_

The rest of the English class went pretty okay. As usual, memorise and look up the meaning of some words before the real lesson. Today's topic was about reading comprehension, so they just read some stories and news and talked about the proper way to answer questions given.

Recess was up next after English, and the class did get the papers promised from the principal who went around the Grade 6 area. Lucas decided to have a change of place to relax and eat somewhere else besides the classroom and the cafeteria for both recess and lunch. He wanted peace and quiet to study up the paper given to him.

Oh yeah, the open field. There's one part there where there's a big tree. That's where Ruby, Sapph, Hilbert, Nate, and some others would hang out every recess and lunch. Barry and Dawn would go there sometimes. Around it was a quiet place where no one really knew where. That's where Lucas'd go to study and relax without anyone bugging him, with a breath of fresh air as a cool bonus.

The best part's that Mes was being crowded by pretty much his classmates, especially a questioning Ruby, by the time the bell rang. Lucas took that opportunity and quickly escaped, hoping Mes or anyone wouldn't find him. He really didn't like all those popularity-thingamajigs, though.

"Alright. Peace and quiet as usual," Lucas said to himself when reaching his spot and then taking out his sandwich. "Now, let's read this paper."

It's just as Sir Darian said. Everything's in it, so having it would've been pretty useless if it wasn't for the 'Please inform your parents about it' part.

Lucas frowned. _Well, I hope Mom's at home tonight._

Also, the number of matches were put in there. "Six matches till June, huh. Starting from… next month. Then, there's two for June. There's even a practice run in… dang, a week." It seemed kinda unreasonable for him, but it said that they're gonna borrow one or two pokémon by dismissal time. That's a relief.

But wait, reading the front page one more time, the grading scheme _wasn't there_. Crud, not even at the back page: just a calendar. Dangit, it's like that Barry knew it's not gonna be there. Lucas hoped that his friends wouldn't ask him for his notes again 'cause he really couldn't say 'no' to them.

Biting the sandwich, took a look at the school calendar of events next. Huh, that's neat. There's an upcoming Quiz Bee contest, field trip to a farm near Solaceon Town, and a lot more. The first two were the closest, and the contest was in a month.

"Hey, it's a regional contest for schools coming from the whole Sinnoh, and it's gonna be held in this school, too!" This was neat. Lucas always loved showing off his smarts in a not-so Barry-kinda way. "Yeah, I'm joining this. There's gonna be a sign-up sheet posted in the bulletin board later at dismissal, too."

That's all to it.

Dang, he just wished everything'd go so easily in school, but maybe Dad's right about stuff being hard and all. Getting the 'Top 1' wasn't gonna be an easy game, but it sure as heck was gonna be worth it. Huh, it didn't really look so—

"BOO!"

Lucas nearly lost his balance at that fricking yell. "Oh sh-sh-shoot!"

 _Dangit, I nearly cussed!_

"Found you, Lukey~" Oh no, it's Mes. "Were you trying to get away from me?" She sat beside him and then inched closer. Urgh, this was so uncomfy.

"I just needed peace and quiet, and how'd you find me? I don't think anyone knows this spot but me."

"Oh, Lukey~ Lukey~ Lukey~ You really forget who I am, and that's so~ cute of you." Crud, she's right, and now, she's poking his cheek. "And, you said that no one but you knows this place, right?"

"T-try something, and I'm gonna call a teacher or an adult!"

"I'm as old as teacher, Lukey."

Yeah, this was his chance to bite back. "No, you're an oldie. You're like 100 plus years old!"

Heh, she's blushing and pouting now. Serves her right! "I-I knew I shouldn't have told you my real age, meanie."

"Well, can you do me a favour and please, please let me enjoy my peace and quiet?" Lucas begged.

"C'mon, Lukey." She frowned a bit. "Can't you at least try to hang out with your human friends? I don't really like them, especially that lecherous human and your yellow-haired friend, but they seem alright to be with. It's perfect for you."

 _What the heck does lecherous even mean?_

"I don't feel like it, Mes. Not right now, actually."

Mes sighed. It looked like she's calmed down a bit. "Well, you can at least tell me all about it. Why?"

Lucas started explaining that he really doesn't wanna hang out with anyone besides Mes, Barry, and Dawn. He said that he didn't really wanna talk much 'cause maybe they won't have the same stuff to talk about, making him a bit different. Also, he's not quite used to the noise and rowdiness, and he wanted at least some peace and quiet to keep himself cool.

"I see. You're a lot like me, but here's what I realised." She looked at him with those serious golden eyes. "You should go hang out with your friends more. I know I can make you way, way happier than them, but I admit, it's better if you get it from your circle of friends, especially if you're still a child. Don't worry if you won't really share 100% the same ideas. There'll be ups and downs in it, I guess, but it's probably for the best. I want what's the best for you, Lukey, and your social life development is a start."

 _She really does sound like a mom and big sister._

"How're you so sure about that? I bet you had a lotta friends when you're as old as me." Lucas needed to know. His dad's passing really changed him, so he needed it.

Mes looked up to the sky. "I'm sure because I didn't have many friends at your age. You won't see it yet, but I can tell you for sure that trying to leave yourself alone more than usual isn't good. I know how bad it is if you don't try to socialise, or hang out, with your friends at your age. I kinda envy you 'cause your childhood's alright." She held her chin and looked down. "M-maybe except that part when your father passed away, but you get my point," she turned to him with a sweet smile, "right, Lukey?"

He's gotta admit that she's right. It's getting kinda boring if he'd always stay away from his friends, and maybe they might stop talking to him one day. Dang, he didn't want that.

But there's something about Mes that Lucas wanted to know so badly.

 _Her past… She never really opened up about it._

She'd always change the topic, ignore him, or do something to not answer if he'd ask. Just what was in it that made her like that?

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Mes. I guess I should hang out with them more often." She lit up when he said it. "But, can I ask one more thing before we go to them?"

"Go on, Lukey."

Here it goes. "Just how was your childhood? You never really told me about it."

Suddenly, she bit her lip and looked away. Maybe she's thinking of another excuse.

"Lukey."

"Y-yeah, Mes?"

She paused for a moment. She was still looking away from him. Uh oh, maybe he didn't ask at the right time. He could feel that there's this weird air around her. The wind blew past them, and the bell rang before it died down.

"Please understand, but you're still not at the right age for me to tell you." She looked back at him, and she had… teary eyes. "C-can you please stop asking that question, Lukey? Please… can you pinky-swear me that?" She held up her pink at him.

 _Crud-crud-crud. Not good, not good!_

Lucas realised that he was asking some pretty sensitive bits of her past. Dangit, how could he not realise that? He felt so ashamed that he made his friend _and_ a legendary cry, but there's only one thing to do.

Tying his pinky to hers, he said, "I pinky-swear, Mes. I'm also sorry for asking stuff off the bat, too."

 _Please don't cry, Mes…_

She wiped her eyes with her hand and went back to the smiling Mes he knew and loved. Whew, that was a close call.

"Thanks, Lukey. You're the best!" She hugged him. Urgh, she's really emotional, but he's not gonna say 'no' to free hugs. "I'll tell you when you're older, alright? Now, let's go. What's the next class, Sir Lukey?"

Thinking hard, he answered. "It's Maths."

 _Wait a minute, Maths!_

"What's wrong, Lukey? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I-it's the teacher, Mes. She's really strict!" Dangit, he did NOT wanna get locked out for being two minutes late after the bell. If he only got his watch! "C-c'mon, let's go!" Lucas quickly grabbed her hand and ran back to the classroom.

 _Crud-crud-crud… I hope we could still make it before the second!_

"Sorry if I'm tugging you like this, Mes." Dang, this was gonna be really awkward if his friends saw him, but the time's still ticking!

"I don't Lukey. It's like we're on an escape adventure!"

Dang, the open area's kinda far from his classroom. Reaching there, he saw some of his classmates outside. It looked like two minutes had gone by.

"Dangit, we're too late!" Lucas groaned. Crud, and it's his first time to be _ever_ locked out!

 _Why, Miss Cassandra? Just why?_

"If you didn't hang out all alone, we'd all be inside, you know?" Mes said, sassily.

Hang on, the ones outside were Barry, Hilbert, Nate, Ruby, Sapph, and even… Dawn! Oh shoot, not Dawn, too!

"Just where the hell did you run off, Lucas?" Sapph asked. "I don't care if I get stuck out for ten minutes, but just so you know, we've been looking for you to tell us more about Mes! What a dick move, Lucas."

"Sapph, please. I think Lucas had his reasons," Dawn said. Oh boy, it's embarrassing to be saved by her… "But where were you, Lucas?" She suddenly paused for a sec. "And why're you holding Mes' hand?"

"Huh?" Oh shoot, he didn't notice he's still holding her hand! He quickly stopped gripping her hand. The rest of them were laughing and teasing Lucas and Mes as a couple, except Ruby. Dangit, double the embarrass!

 _"I loved the way you held it, Lukey. It felt so ma~gical."_ Oh c'mon, _triple_ the embarrass! _Not you too, Mes…_

"How dare you make the first move, Lucas?!" Ruby said, acting all dramatic like those weird TV actors. Mes just rolled her eyes on him, and Lucas did the same. "Oh, my fragile heart!"

"Hey, since Lucas is here, maybe we could continue what we're talking about," Barry said. "I really didn't know I had a new neighbour. Like, really! I'm kinda curious about her, too…" Okay, that's kinda creepy.

"Oh yeah! Barry's right, Lucas," Hilbert said, with Nate nodding his head. "I'm actually wondering how you guys knew each other."

"We all are," Nate added.

"And how you became friends with someone so puh-retty, too!" Ruby butted it.

"Shut your trap, Ruby!" Sapph almost yelled. "I'm pretty sure we _all_ wanna know the juicy deets." Sapph said while wagging her eyebrows. Urgh, maybe all tomboys natural teasers.

All eyes were on Lucas right now, and it's making him pretty uncomfy. Especially that Dawn's looking at him, he's kinda shy to answer.

 _Oh boy, what to do…_

"Lukey and I knew each other six years ago when I first came to the United Regions for vacation. We met each other when I was playing in Lake Verity" Mes happily said outta the blue, making Lucas sit straight.

 _"You're welcome, Lukey~"_ She sent a mind-wink at him. Dang, Lucas didn't know if he was gonna thank her for that.

Almost everyone wooed, except for Ruby and Barry. Ruby looked like he wanted to jump off a cliff, but Barry raised an eyebrow.

"Well, well, Lucas," Hilbert said. "Don't forget about us when you get married." Lucas blushed hard at that.

 _Oh, dang you, Hilbert!_

"You never told us about her, Lucas," Dawn asked. "Why's that?"

Oh crud, that's a good question. Lucas tried to answer her, but Mes butted in again. "We'd only meet in the summers before, but just yesterday, my parents and I moved from the Pinas to the United Regions. We kept a promise not to tell our friends 'cause maybe we'd never meet again."

"Never meet again?" Barry asked. Oh boy, he looked pretty police-y.

The time passed with Lucas and his friends talking to each other, and teasing. Lucas got a chance to speak, but Mes saved his butt at parts he couldn't answer. Suddenly, the door flew open, and Miss Cassandra looked kinda mad.

"Alright, alright. Ten minutes are up. Please come inside, all of you," Miss said with a yawn. Dang, she looked sleepy too. "And don't make the same mistake again, all of you." She turned to Dawn, Lucas, and Mes. "Especially you two and you, Ms. New Student."

Oh crud, Lucas forgot to say 'sorry', especially to Dawn 'cause it's also her first time to get locked out! When he did, Dawn just smiled and said that it really didn't matter. She even said that it was pretty cool to break the rules, too! Oh boy, he did NOT wanna hear that from her.

With that gone, the day went by pretty normally. Maths was just some algebra stuff (with the usual Barry finishing seatworks in the blink of an eye), Science started out with some basic Chemistry, History was about Asia's starting people, and Battling was Sir Darian's talk all over again.

Lunchtime was pretty different with Mes. There were some guys who got near Lucas just to ask about her. It's also during lunch that Lucas got to borrow a pokémon from Sir Darian for next week's practice run. It's probably the advisor who got to handle them, Lucas thought.

But what really caught Lucas' eyes was Barry. He's acting like a police, and he's trying to get to know Mes a bit more. Lucas knew Barry wasn't doing it for pervy reasons like Ruby's 'cause Barry was more serious-looking. It started to look like it when Barry asked if Mes had sisters, which pretty much weirded out Lucas and Mes. Mes'd give him not-so straight answers, but Barry was still insistent, especially during lunch. Dang, maybe Barry's cooking up some _genius plan_ , again. _Urgh._

When they're all dismissed, Mes said she wanted to explore the school herself. Lucas was kinda bummed out she wasn't gonna be with him for a moment, but he just let her. She's the fricking Lake Guardian, after all.

Next, Lucas got to sign up for the quiz bee. There's a lotta names that the paper got filled. He even saw Barry's name up there. Good thing Lucas was there before there wasn't any space left.

Well, Mes didn't look like she's gonna come back yet, so maybe he could sit at the same place he did during recess. He really didn't wanna see those two dang bullies again.

"I guess I could just study and do my homework while I can," Lucas said as he got his pens and notebook out. "Mes said we'd meet up at the gate. Sir Darian and Miss Cassandra were also gonna meet me at the gate at around 15:30 after their faculty meeting."

He placed his borrowed poké ball beside him. "And, I'll get to know who you are after I finish my homework, pal," he said with a smile.

 _Just who's gonna be my new mystery partner?_ he wondered with a smile.

* * *

She hesitated to do this, but if it was to shake a pest off her trail, she had to do it.

20 minutes after dismissal, Mesprit had to meet up with that blond-haired human at their rendezvous point: a room in the third storey, as per request of that human. Hmph, how childish.

 _As if meeting that lecherous human wasn't enough._

When Mesprit reached the entrance to that room, Spare Room 305, she noticed that there was a scarce number of students around her. They looked a bit older than her classmates, and they were off attending to their own devices. There weren't even any teachers around, too. She noticed that the translucent windows to this room were closed and that the interior was dark, but she felt a presence inside. Sunlight was also scarce here.

 _It's that reckless human who's been causing mayhem in our lake. Just what could he possibly want from us? When he asked us about having sisters… Well, I wanted to shake him off. How about you?_

 _Relax, we'll deal with him soon. I personally don't really like actions left without its dues, and his questioning just adds it up._ If only the most mature personality was here, she'd have done something already.

But no. Mesprit had to leave a clone and imbue it with her most mature self to fill her physical spot in the Verity Cavern, as per Chief's orders. Then again, she was able to act all mature in front of her Lukey without that one, so maybe this meeting with his closest human friend would yield no blood shed, hopefully.

Entering the room, it was pretty dark, but the human prepared a table and chairs for him and her.

Just then, she felt a very familiar air around him, just like how she did around this Dawn-human. _No, don't mind it. They're just human kids. They don't have anything special in them._

 _And I'll make sure this female human won't get our precious Lukey~_

"Oh hey, Mes! Come on in," he said and waved. It appeared that he was wearing gloves. Maybe the weather was becoming too chilly for a frail human. "Ah, and please lock the door. I really don't want nosy dudes barging in on us." He added with a disgusting chuckle. Locking the door, she never broke her stare at the human.

"Hi! Did you need anything, Barry?" she said with a fake cheerful tone, holding her hands on the table. "Lukey's waiting for me, so can we make it quick, please?" Urgh, she really hated putting this persona in front of individuals she hated.

The human chuckled. "Well, let's just cut to the chase, Mes, 'cause I know that you're," he looked at her straight in the eye, "not one of us."

Shit, she knew what he meant by that. Her eye and a finger twitched. _C-calm down, Mes. He's just a kid. It's probably their juvenile imagination._

Mesprit put on fake tears. "Y-you're a meanie, hu — Barry! How could you say that? I… I don't wanna be your friend anymore!"

"Don't gimme that crap, Mes!" He suddenly banged the table. "I know it, you're not like us. You're not _human_!" Mesprit suddenly felt her danger metre rise, and the need to escape pinged in her.

As much as she wanted to eliminate this human, the setting was too inappropriate. It was dangerous for her to engage with him using her powers beyond a certain level. Why?

One, Darky and Cressy were in the premises. The latter one was a bigger problem with her well-trained extrasensory skills. Damn that high-blood bitch!

Two, even with the training for memory removal over the week, she's still inexperienced with handling memories that a small mistake might cause the human to act strangely, alerting that lovey-dovey couple to be onto her. If only it was back at her lake, then it'd feel a lot easier…

 _This… is bad news! I-I've got to get away just to be sure._

"You meanie! I hate you, Barry!" She briskly walked towards the door. "I'm going home!"

 **"Hold it!"** the human yelled. "If you're gonna go away now, I'm gonna _bully Lucas till he cries like a baby_! I'm even gonna make sure he's not gonna get his 'Top 1' award."

 _Bully… my Lukey?_

Suddenly, her head started aching. She instinctively held her head in pain, but she quickly put it down. Fuck, that's gonna give her off, but it's too painful! She tried her best to keep her composure.

 _HE MUST DIE. HE MUST DIE. HE MUST DIE._

 _N-no, keep it down!_

"And I have proof!" that disgusting human added. _Damn you, human!_

Seeing that there were no opportunities to escape with the least suspicion, she returned to the chair and rested her hands on the table again with a semi-teary face. An opportunity to strike or to escape might just pop up, and she had to take it fast!

"F-fine. Y-you're a meanie, Barry. I'm gonna tell Sir Darian and my mama if you do something bad to me!"

"I won't, Mes! I'm a gentleman." The human put forth a disgusting smile.

The fact that he had this 'proof' was dangerous, but she had to play along with this farce. If not, she'd reveal more than what needs to be known. Fucking hell, he shouldn't even have _anything_ on her, so it could be a bluff. No matter, though, for this will pass soon.

" _First_ , you found Lucas when we couldn't earlier this morning. He's the best hide-and-seeker, but even if I'd win against him in the last second, he's like a ninja!" That's true, and she admitted deep inside that her Lukey was good at hiding given enough time. If she wasn't a psychic, then finding him would be hell.

" _Second_ , I keep seeing your eyes change from golden, amber, yellow, or whatever-the-hell colour to black. That's pretty much impossible, and I know I'm not seeing things!" Shit, how the hell's he able to tell with just a few hours of interaction? _Calm down, just calm down._ He's got a good eye, that is, if he did, but can he even prove it?

" _Third_ , you seem to stop before you say all our names. It's like you say 'hyu-' before you do!" Good ears, too. Was this human even a 12-year-old? "I heard this in all of us but not Lucas'. Heck, you even call him _Lukey_. What a _stupid_ nickname!" He did NOT just call it STUPID! Her head's starting up, but this time, it's even stronger.

 _KILL THIS FUCKER. KILL THIS FUCKER. KILL THIS FUCKER._

 _Dammit, stop! It's the end of us if he finds out!_

 _Fine. FINE!_

"So, whaddaya think?!" the human yelled and banged the table. "These are why you're not human, Mes!"

No. She was not going to have it. These were just unusually on-spot details, but not hard proof! Dammit, this human could've gotten her, but she's not too dumb! She quickly peered into his mind, but that seemed to be it. He had no further proof or whatever stupid ideas up his sleeve.

Okay, since this human was spouting nothing but harsh words to a young girl, she had all the reason to do her next move. This was her chance to escape his childish games.

She covered her face, and she started sniffling and groaning. She sensed Barry's curiousity grow.

"U-uh, Mes?" Heh, human males would always fall for these sorts of traps, and it looked like he's taking the bait. "A-are you…?"

"UWAH!" Mesprit let out her fake tears and stood up. "WHY'RE YOU SO MEAN?! I'M GONNA TELL MY MAMA AND SIR DARIAN!"

"W-wait, M-Mes! I-I'm sorry I didn't mean it!"

He's paralysed in shame, and this was the opportunity! _Now's my chance to get out, and tell everyone — dammit, you don't know when to quit!_

She suddenly sensed a pair of scissors thrown behind her back when she was about to get out. By her instinct, she stopped it with her powers.

Wait.

Oh fuck.

"And _lastly_ ," the disgusting human coolly said, "you were able to react to my good 'ol scissors I threw at you." But she didn't even sense him planning this! HOW?! "Oh yeah, I placed my bets on you being a psychic, so I blanked out my thoughts every now and then! Hah, I'm a genius!"

That human.

That deceptive and demonic human. Was he even human to begin with?

How could she have fallen for this insolent being's bluffs and schemes?

This human quickly reminded her of a certain _someone_ , a certain _liar_ and _know-it-all_. Even if this human was loud and impatient unlike her, _she_ manifested in him for some reason.

 _Yux._ So, that's why it's so familiar.

She quickly shook her head. _Impossible, that pompous know-it-all won't waste her precious time for humans._

Even so, she felt such an aura. She slowly turned around. Huh, Mesprit saw the human holding a strange device… Oh no, it's a _human camera_!

"It's all on tape, Mes. I'm way too lucky I saw this in my bag." The pair of scissors was still held midair in a pink glow.

 _I got found out…?_

"My genius plans never fail!" he said as he bolted towards the other door.

Time seemed to slow down for her. Mesprit knelt down in defeat, and the scissors were released.

It really was like _Yux_ was manifesting this human. He cornered her and caught her off-guard in just his first try, the norm of Yux. It's true he's a human in and out, yet he really was something else.

More importantly, she was really going to get it from the Hall.

Was this it? Was she gonna get the boot from the Hall?

 _Are you seriously gonna go without a fight? Remember, Lukey's on the line._

 _Lukey?_

 _If he gets out, we might not get to see Lukey anymore. You know what to do. Hell, you're even stronger than that deceptive human! With or without psychic powers…_

 _ **You're Mesprit of the Hall of Origins.**_

The human was nearing the door, but the sprawling tables around slowed his escape. She wasted no time; she grabbed the scissors just as it hit the floor and flung it in front of his shoe. The human tripped and crashed on one of the tables. The camera also was released from his hand.

"Ow-ow-ow!" he shrieked in pain.

The human seemed to ignore her and rushed to the door. _No, you won't._

Mesprit was essentially faster than a hurt human and a psychic, so outrunning him in this dimly lit room was a cinch. She immediately grabbed him by the collar and pinned him down on the floor.

The human tried to grab the scissors near him, but she slid it away from him first and then quickly pressed her arm to his throat. To restrict his movement a bit more, she locked his wrists, knees, and ankles with little psychic power. That way, that strict-as-hell Cressy won't detect any significant traces.

"W-what are you doing, Mes?" the human said, trying to break free. "P-please lemme go! I was just trying to — uwargh!" Mesprit slowly pushed her arm some more.

"Ah-ah-ah~! You should've gotten off my tail when you had the chance, filthy human!" she said, smiling at him sadistically. "I could've used your own tool to silence you forever, but _my_ Lukey wouldn't like that idea." Her face turned serious. "Now, talk. I want to know why you're tailing me and trying to profile me."

"A-are you even a — ugwaragh! Stop it!"

"I'll run my arm even more if you try to avoid my questions. Let's try this again, talk!"

The human explained that he really noticed what he told her a moment ago, and that he was certain that she wasn't one of them, as in _she wasn't human_. He also wanted to know her and her family background, saying that he wanted to know if she had any sisters. She was suspicious with that unusually specific line of questioning, but he said that he was under the impression she didn't have any brothers.

He insisted that it's for his putrid learning, so he tested his hypothesis through his so-called 'genius plan'. "I want to learn a lotta things, a-and being hands-on was the best way to do it!"

 _Hmph, he's not lying, but…_

Hang on, she had to settle the dues of this human, for all that he did in the lake and for endangering her Lukey. Maybe she could utilise his very eccentric way of learning to lure him into his retribution. Before that, she still needed to clear some doubts in her head.

"You know, I've been interested in how you act so… strangely. You don't even appear human to me." Hell, his fear was unnaturally low. There were traces, but not as high as those two bullies from last night. "Tell me, why are you like this?"

"I swear, I just wanna learn a lotta things. I wanna be a genius and a cop: a genius cop! Dad's always away, so I wanna act all manly, but with a brain, too. That way, I can protect my friends and family. That's why I gotta learn a lotta stuff hands-on. Heck, I'd even practice those self-control whatchamacallit! I'm like a yoga-daredevil, yeah!" He suddenly chuckled. "Heh, and I wanna also help Lucas overcome that wussy ass of his!" She didn't like that description, but he's unfortunately correct.

 _This human boy… could he be of use to me?_ Silencing him forever seemed to be a waste for her Lukey's growth and potential development, two of the things she ever so craved, but this human was still scum in her eyes. Maybe she was destined to meet this disgusting human, to which she despised.

"I also noticed you call him by that stupid nick — uwargh!"

"Filthy human." Mesprit angrily pressed his throat. "Do. Not. Ever. Say. That. Watch your words, or you may lose your ability to feel emotions forever."

"Okay, okay! Stop hurting me, Mes!" Hmph, he was a lowly human in the end. "I just wanna know if you're human or not! I promise I won't tell!"

The bell suddenly rang. If she remembered the bell-sounding schedules correctly, it was half past 15 o' clock. Shit, she promised to meet with him by the school gate!

"Time's up, human. Get away from my sight." She immediately released him. The human quickly shook her off and ran to the door, grabbing whatever materials he had brought with him. "Before you go, human, I have a deal for you."

"W-what the hell do you want? Hurry up and say it!" He really was impatient more than he was energetic, according to her Lukey.

But whatever. This was the time to lure him into her own game. "Lake Verity. 22:30. I'll answer all your questions to broaden your worthless learning. Make sure you keep your filthy mouth shut about our scuffle and this meeting later on, and don't even dare show anyone the contents of your camera. I can easily track you down, remember that."

For some reason, he smiled when he nodded. The loudmouthed human quickly vacated the room.

That human was really different from the rest. Then again, no two humans share the same disgusting features.

 _And his wits sure reminds me of Yux… All the more reason to hate him,_ she thought before teleporting to the girls' CR.

Getting her bag from the classroom, she navigated her way to the gate, passing through familiar faces. She even came across those two bullies from last night, but they appeared to be avoiding her. Heh, insolent humans.

Once she met up with her Lukey by the gate, she came across some unexpected individuals: the lovey-dovey Lunar Duo in their human forms. Her Lukey forgot to tell her that Darky and Cressy were actually going to accompany him back home for this week, as per his mother's stupid request. Mesprit didn't like that idea, but she conceded to it. It's just one week, anyway. With a little bit of stalling, especially from a very skeptical Cressy, they left for Twinleaf.

On their way back, her Lukey was accompanied by Darky and Mesprit by Cressy. The pairs distanced from each other, and it looked like Cressy was trying to stop Mesprit from even going near her Lukey. The nerve of that woman! Cressy even started saying things about not laying a malicious finger on her students. Hmph, she's really gone that low to side with humans.

They reached Twinleaf in almost an hour. Damn, her Lukey had to be really patient to endure a not-so arduous yet time-consuming walk.

 _As expected from our Lukey~ Ah~_

Just then, Cressy whisked Mesprit away from the other pair's eyes for a moment. Just what the hell could she want?

"I've a message from the country supervisor for you, that's why. A short one at that, but she specified that it's for your ears only." Oh, that workaholic Yux seemed to be growing more apathetic by the day that she's starting to send messengers. "She said, 'Don't even think about it, Mesprit No. 100601.' That's all."

Really? That was worth their moment of privacy? "Very cryptic, Cressy. Is that all there is to it?" What a useless message. Ignoring it was the best option.

"I'm afraid so." _That know-it-all liar thinks she could waste my precious time? Asshole!_ "I have to go now. I've matters to attend to, Mes."

Darky appeared from behind. "Done with your girl-talk already? 'Cause we're done with ours." He chuckled at the last word. "Alright, Mes, we've got to get going now. Stay safe with your Lucas." At least this guy was easygoing. Darky dematerialised into black dust, while Cressy teleported in a flash of pinkish-yellow light.

Mesprit and her Lukey went back to his house since the house she and Chief were going live in was still undergoing preparations. That annoying blond-haired human wasn't in the vicinity either. The four had dinner when the sun had set, and the night went on with Mesprit conversing with her cute, little Lukey~

Once the agreed-upon time drew closer, Mesprit quickly changed her pajamas to her casual clothes, the pink sweater-shirt and a light gray knee-long skirt. She decided to go shoeless, giving her human feet some air.

 _Kinda useless wearing this apparel since we'll be transforming in front of that annoying human._

 _Whatever you say. If we went sans clothing, I'd still be alright._ Well, she was a legendary, so she had to show decency. Still, that thought made her blush. _Then again, I don't want to reveal this body to some random human but Lukey._

 _Oh yes~ Reveal ourselves… in front of Lukey~_

Okay, that's enough mental soliloquies. She had to meet up with her Lukey's friend at the lake. Giving a small kiss to her future mate's cheek, she teleported beside the sign near the entrance.

But it appeared to be a bad idea to do that.

Something crashed into her at high speed with a loud 'thud!', and she knew who that was. The human then landed on top of her.

"What the hell?!" the human said.

"Get off me, filthy human!" Using her powers, she threw the human a few human metres away. "Don't you DARE tackle me again!" she added while walking into her abode.

 _Now… It begins._

A tense atmosphere ensued. The two of them soon stood face to face on the grassy field near to the entrance. The night air felt cool around her, and the moist grass under her feet relaxed her senses.

Mesprit had to find the right time where she could _punish_ this insolent creature for his acts of disrespect and recklessness. She was going to go easy on him, unfortunately, since she needed him for her Lukey to mature.

 _No matter. Since those lovey-dovey duo aren't here, I could erase his memories as freely as I want now. Home court advantage, what Lukey would say._

"Ask away, human. That's why we're here, right?"

The human arrogantly chuckled. "Thanks for inviting me here, Mes. I'm really honoured. But!" He pointed his poké ball at her. "Can the antics, Mes. I know you aren't human!"

"You really are interesting… I never thought I'd find another interesting human after six years." Mesprit glared at him. "Very well, I'm not human like you. Satisfied?"

"Not yet! Show me. C'mon, show me what you really look like, _Mesprit_!"

"And just what makes you think I'm Mesprit, human? By my pink and light gray apparel ? By my erratic display of emotions? By my amber-coloured eyes?" Mesprit held out her arms. "Tell me, what is the basis of your putrid brain?"

Suddenly, she felt his confidence dwindle. "I… actually dunno. I just… have a feeling, yeah! But, but!" He stomped twice. "The truth's that you're not human, and Lucas might be in trouble 'cause of you!"

Oh, so he actually cares about him? She sensed that this was genuine. "How can I be a threat to my Lukey? I never saw and will never see him as my enemy. You, on the other hand, deserve to be ridded of."

"Lukey this, Lukey that. Just what are you gonna do to him?!" He sent out his pokémon, a chatot. "I don't like the sound of that, too!"

"What am I gonna do to him?" Mesprit felt her head aching. "Ah~ Yes… what _will_ I do to him… Oh yes~!" She knelt down and clutched her head. The thoughts of doing _passionate_ things to her Lukey danced in her head, and it made her tremble in pleasure.

"Crap! I didn't wanna do this, but Chat, Mud-Slap!"

Mesprit was alerted by this and quickly snapped out of her cloud nine. The chatot turned around and kicked up clumps of dirt at her. Just before it landed on her, she muttered, "Come."

All of a sudden, a pink light flashed in front of her, and the clone of Mesprit's pokémon form appeared. A light green screen was summoned in front of the clone, stopping the clumps with a splat.

"It appears that you've lured the transgressor to our domain. Commendable." the clone commented in her tongue.

"What the double hell?!" the human and the chatot yelled at the same time. "It's Mesprit, _the_ Mesprit of Lake Verity! Wait till they get a load of this!"

The human quickly took out his camera, but the clone snatched it away from him.

"H-hey! Give it back!"

"Pardon me," Mesprit said. "This is something you can't have in your possession." The clone tossed it up in the air, and in unison with the real Mesprit, they crushed it flat with a clap of their hands. All that was left was a plate of useless metal.

"NO!"

"Before stepping into this territory, you should have been resolved, human," Mesprit said as-a-matter-of-factly. "What's wrong, human? Lukey told me that this 'genius' was one of the best. Heh, what nonsense." The human was just growling with anger. "Oh, I know! Maybe…" Her eyes suddenly turned black, and she put up a sadistic smile.

 **"You're a failure?"**

 _O-okay, maybe that was a tad bit—_

 _Quiet. Let me handle this._

"Why you…!" Anger was exponentially rising in the human. "That was… Dad's GIFT!" The human was also tearing up. She knew that her taunts hit a delicate spot in his psyche.

"Your move, human," the clone muttered as it went into its battle stance. The clone also discreetly summoned an impassable barrier around them. It wasn't Trick Room, Wonder Room, or any in particular — just a regular barrier preventing entry or escape.

Then again, the wind started blowing, and the trees rustled. How fitting for what's to come, Mesprit thought.

 _This is it. Our meeting's come to the climax._

"CHAT, ONE!"

The chatot started to let loose an ear-piercing sound wave concentrated at the two of them, causing them to shut their eyes and cover their ears.

When it stopped, she saw that the human was charging towards Mesprit, and the chatot was already harassing the clone with little resistance. Just before she could react, the human lunged himself at her and pinned her down.

"I told you not to—!" No use. A fist stopped her before she could finish. Damn, his anger really powered him up. "I said, hands OFF!" Mesprit forced him away once more and assuaged the pain in her cheek.

Unfortunately, the clone had no time to prepare its next attack and continued receiving a barrage of speedy pecks.

The human managed to scream something before he landed.

"TWO!"

Just then, the chatot flew up and whipped up a strong gust of wind to Mesprit and the clone, and it was scratching her entire body by the second. The clone set up a Light Screen around it, to which she made her way behind it, but the wind managed to make its way past it, too. Once more, she held up her hands to protect her face.

 _Dammit, this human's_ really _something else!_

"AND, THREE! CRUSH IT!"

The razorlike wind still lingered, but Mesprit saw the chatot diving towards them. The clone tried to strengthen the screen around it, but the wind also made its setup harder.

 _Shit, that bird's way too fast!_

Unable to repair the protection in time, the chatot broke through the screen and collided with the clone, with Mesprit behind it.

She didn't know why, but for a split second, she swore she saw her Lukey's Munch figure as the chatot crashed into them.

 _Dammit, déjà vu…?_

 _But well done, human. I think… I'll hitherto call you by your name._

With its momentum, the clone and Mesprit were literally sent flying all the way to the barrier's end. The clone dispersed with a poof, and Mesprit felt something entering her psyche.

She heard Barry running towards her but stopped midway. Maybe he's picking up his chatot… Chat, was it? Meanwhile, Mesprit discreetly healed her wounds to prepare for the denouement of this farce.

"Chat… We did it. We executed Strat A!" he said before calling back his partner to rest. He then rushed to a fully-healed Mesprit. "And you, where'd you put Mesprit? I'm gonna catch it!"

"Mesprit?" she quickly held her hand at an unexpecting Barry, freezing his limbs in place. "Catch it?"

"W-what the hell? I-I can't!" Barry then shot a desperate glare at Mesprit. "W-what did you do, h-huh? L-lemme out!"

"Oh, Barry~" She cupped his trembling chin and ran her hand on his cheek. "You're looking at the very Lake Guardian Mesprit," she whispered into his ear. Right after, she slapped his cheek "That's for causing disorder in my peaceful abode."

"G-get me outta here, M-Mesprit! I-I'm gonna fine you! I—" She cut him with another slap to the other cheek.

"And that was for endangering my Lukey. Believe me, if you weren't his friend… well, just imagine the worst I could possibly do," she said with a smile. "My turn to ask, do you know what happens next?" Barry gulped and slowly shook his head. "Oh, and here I thought you were smart enough to know the legends surrounding the Lake Guardians of Sinnoh… Even Lukey knows it, so take a hint, Barry."

Barry's fear levels shot up. She didn't even need to take a peek into his head to find out that he knew what she was talking about. "No! NO! GET AWAY FROM ME! GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"Oh, don't be like that, Barry!" She took a step back and started unbuttoning her shirt to prepare her transformation. "Don't miss out on the piece de resistance of our fated meeting, now!"

 _Well, unbuttoning this is pretty much just to add some pizzazz…_

 _Shut up! Don't ruin our moment!_

Unbuttoning the last one, her human body glowed pink before transforming into her pokémon form while her clothes dropped to ground.

* * *

"Kya-yun~!" Just what the hell was she saying and doing?!

 _"Ta-da~! Are you enjoying it so far, Barry?"_ a voice in his head asked. Crap, telepathy! It really was _Mesprit_!

"Hell no!" This was too much! "Please… LEMME GO! I WON'T DISTURB YOU AGAIN! I WON'T PUT LUCAS IN DANGER!"

 _"It's a bit too late for that, Barry,"_ she summoned two orbs on her hands and smiled at him, _"and I think I've talked too much. YOU know too much, too!"_

Dammit, he's come this far, and it's just gonna end like this?

 _HELL NO!_

This was golden knowledge! He's gotta tell Lucas about this. Crap, he knew she's gonna do something bad to him, and he didn't want anything to happen to his only best friend!

He tried moving his arms and legs, but it's no use. She's too strong! Dammit, just why'd he have to fricking tail her like an undercover cop? This wasn't what he expected!

 _"It's been nice knowing you, Barry. Don't worry, I'll be gentle."_ The last thing Barry saw before shutting his eyes were a scary pair of black eyes and a creepy-as-hell smile like in those horror movies. The sounds of the spinning psychic orbs were getting louder, dammit! _"Just continue being a good friend to my Lukey, alright?"_

T-there's gotta be a way outta this crap. Something's there, just waiting to be found by his genius head!

 _Think, Barry, think! You've always gotten your ass outta crap like these!_

Then, it hit him.

He could call **her**. That's the only way, but she's on the other side of this region, literally!

 _Oh crap, I don't have a choice!_ Barry silently prayed for her to come.

 _I… I know you're there! You promised you weren't gonna leave me alone in this kinda stuff! Remember our promise! Please, hear me!_

The orbs were already ringing in his ears, and he already felt something being dragged out in his mind. He tried his hardest to keep in his head, but it's like it's being pulled by some sumo dude!

 _No… I'm not… giving up! You… you'll come for me! You… you're here… I know it…!_

D-dammit… He's feeling sleepy… already… But no… she's gonna come… He can't go… out cold… yet! Yeah… She pro… mised…!

 _You… pro… mised… right…? You… you… you…_

 _You… you…_

 _Coo…_

 _She…_

 **"KYOU—N!"**

All of a sudden, it got silent, and he didn't feel that sleepy anymore. Cool, he didn't feel frozen anymore, too!

When Barry opened his eyes, he's back in his room. Woah, he's even on his bed, and he looked clean. Chat's poké ball was on the desk near him. W-were his prayers heard?

 _"Would it be alright if you stay awake, just for a moment?"_ a soft voice went in his mind. _"I haven't the luxury of time, too."_

"Y- **Yux**!" Barry said. "Heh, of course, you remembered our promise." Getting up, he saw a pixie with a yellow helmet-like head floating in front of him.

 _"I thought we agreed not to call it that."_ Yux said, then shook her head. _"Anyway, you're safe from Mes, for now. I'll make sure that her attitude is in check, so as to prevent any more things like this."_ Oh yeah. That Mes had gotta take her chill pill! _"Congratulations on finding her identity through deceptive tactics, too."_ She smiled when she said 'tactics'. _"How was she?"_

"You really saved my ass, Yux, and thank you, too!" Save was an understatement. Jeez, that's one hell of an explosive girl! "Your sister sure is weird, and she's like that one manga girl I read!"

 _"Now, now. Stop demeaning her. It's not nice. Also, I'm only here for a few minutes, Barry."_ Typical Yux, always in a hurry with everything. She slowly crossed her arms. _"To start off, what you did was very irresponsible, Barry!"_

Uh oh, Yux was already giving him a mini-lecture about his responsible ass and how he shouldn't wander off into danger zones. She's even pointing out at his genius plan to unmask Mes' mask. Dammit, and didn't she just give him a 'congrats' just a few seconds ago?

 _"Just remember not to further endanger yourself and not to… become an undercover cop trying to profile her, or any other potential non-human beings. Think about your parents. Be the responsible boy I envision."_ She poked his forehead. _"I understand your thirst for knowledge, but please be wise enough to not act so foolishly and cockily next time."_

"But Yux, my genius plans!"

Yux shook her head. _"No, I won't have it. Act more maturely, Barry, and apologise."_

"Right, right. I'm sorry, Yux…" He looked away in shame. She's always busy and serious. Hell, time with her was even faster than making instant noodles! More importantly, Barry knew why she was here. "Just get on with it. Erase my memories, Yux," he added, frowning.

Suddenly, he received a hug from Yux. Huh, this felt… good. _"I'm sorry if I'm too strict with you, but this is for your own good, Barry."_ She looked, or faced, Barry with a smile. _"How about a deal? If you're behaved, I'll make time for you. Alright? Winter break, I promise."_ Dammit, he hated waiting, but that's pretty much the best he'll get, ugh. _"If ever, we'll even meet sooner if my work isn't toiling."_

Well, this was a good deal! He held out his fist, hoping she'd do their fist-bump. Oh hey, she did it! "Just don't break that promise, alright? And, please fix Dad's camera, too! If you don't, then I'm gonna—!"

 _"Okay, that's enough, Barry. I'll keep my promise and ask a good technician friend of mine,"_ she said, tapping his cheek. Ugh, he hated it when she'd stop him like that.

But then, Barry smiled back. He kept telling himself that she was a busy 'mon, even though he really didn't like it. "Aw yeah, you better! But, one last question, please?"

 _"Make it quick."_

"Do I still get to know that my classmate's a Hall member? A-and, where's Mes?"

She nodded. _"She's fighting my Double Team clone right now. Alright, enough talk for real._ _I'll just erase all those unpleasant memories that you've experienced. Now, l_ _ook into my eyes."_ Barry didn't like how she's always rushing to the point, but then again, Barry's like that, too. _"Do not utter any of this night's events or any private information to a single soul, or y_ _our throat will constrict as usual. And if anyone, especially Mes, tries to harm you, do not take any chances and notify me ASAP."_

"Yeah, yeah. I promise."

 _Jeez, what a worried mom Yux is, always fussing and time conscious._

It always amazed Barry when he got to see her amber eyes. When he did get to see it, it's like something went into his head, trying to go round and round while sparking some stuff in it.

After staring at her eyes, he felt very sleepy again. Yux helped him lie down on the bed.

The last thing he saw before drifting off to dreamland was her cute little smile and her pretty eyes.

* * *

 **And now, the countdown to the graduation, Arc I's finale, begins.** **Will Lucas ever get his 'Top 1' by the end of the school year? What of Mes' eccentric attitude, too?**

 **Here on, expect the spotlight to be on Lucas more. :D**

* * *

 **Innocuous: Don't worry about that. I've edited those parts. I'll be sure to keep the content within bounds next time.**

 **Guest: No. She will. Find out soon!**

 **Greninjaten99: Thank goodness indeed, whew! Heh, thank you, too!**

 **Mallory S. Nocturne: Oh hey, that's a nice reference you've picked up! Thank you, and stay safe, too!**

 **Anon Omega: Yup. Don't worry, for she'll be sure to control herself in the coming chapters :D**

 **Icastfireballatthedarkness: Heh heh, cheers, ma'am/sir!**


End file.
